‘Whoo!’ NBC News’ Peter Alexander Audibly Hoots After Reading Biden’s Blistering Slams on Republicans to Psaki
NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander let out an astonished hoot after he read President Joe Biden’s slams on Republicans aloud to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
As he celebrated the confirmation of his first Supreme Court Justice-designate Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday on the South Lawn of the White House, President Biden thanked the three Republican Senators who voted for Jackson, then lit into the rest.
At Friday’s press briefing, Mr. Alexander recited Biden’s criticisms to Ms. Psaki, and let out a vocalization that evinced surprise at the intensity of the remarks. He then asked Psaki if this is a taste of Biden’s midterm “messaging”:
MR. ALEXANDER: Okay. Let me — if I can, during his remarks today, the President said something that was a bit striking. He was condemning some of the conservative Republicans and their criticisms of Judge Jackson when she was testifying recently. He said: “There was verbal abuse. The anger. The constant interruptions. The most vile, baseless, [vile] assertions and accusations.” Whoo. Is that a preview of messaging that we’re going to hear from the President heading into the midterms? Was that — was that — is that a message that the White House wants to deliver and will be repeating?
MS. PSAKI: I don’t believe that the conduct of senators at a hearing is going to be central to the President’s remarks when he’s out in — out traveling the country.
But I think what he was speaking to, on a historic day, is that while Judge Jackson was the picture — now Justice Jackson — was the picture of dignity in her hearings, some others in the room decided to be the opposite.
And he is somebody who has more experience overseeing Supreme Court hearings than anyone living. He has overseen them during Republican and Democratic Presidents and expects a certain level of conduct, professionalism, and decorum. And that is not what we saw.
MR. ALEXANDER: So that was more of a one-off for today, as opposed to, like, a central theme that we’ll see in terms of contrast?
MS. PSAKI: I would say that I think the American people can expect that he’ll continue to talk when he’s out in the country — for whatever reason — about how to bring down their costs, how to make sure that he is fighting for them, and bringing them relief, and how’s going to get the COVID pandemic under control — less about the conduct of senators at a hearing.
Watch above via The White House and Reuters.
