Jen Psaki Loses Patience with Anti-Abortion Reporter Who Keeps Asking ‘When Does Biden Believe Life Begins?’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked repeatedly when President Joe Biden believes life begins, and tried to move on when the reporter persisted.

At a White House press briefing this week, Psaki faced a persistent EWTN Washington Correspondent Owen Jensen, who has tangled with Psaki in the past over the issue of abortion rights.

But when Psaki threatened to move on, Jensen asked a rare friendly question about a Catholic value he shares with the president:

MR. JENSEN: How will the debate over abortion shape the President’s selection process?

MS. PSAKI: The President is going to select an eminently qualified Black woman to serve on the Court, someone — and he’s going to do that through consulting with a range of members of Congress, through outside experts, and obviously through engagement with them directly. But I don’t think I’m going to give you more specifics from here.

MR. JENSEN: But that person — will that person have to be pro-abortion?

MS. PSAKI: I think somebody asked a similar question. I’m not going to outline litmus tests from here today.

MR. JENSEN: Okay. Following up on that, the President has said in the past he does not believe that life begins at conception. When does he believe it begins?

MS. PSAKI: You know the President’s position. He believes in a woman’s right to choose.

MR. JENSEN: But that’s not the question I asked. I said —

MS. PSAKI: And he’s spoken — he’s spoken to this in the past. And I know you ask this every time you come in here, which is your —

MR. JENSEN: (Inaudible.)

MS. PSAKI: — your absolute right, but I don’t think I have anything new to —

MR. JENSEN: But I — that’s not — that’s not —

MS. PSAKI: — reveal for you.

MR. JENSEN: The question is: When does he believe life — and essential to the debate over the question of a baby’s viability, pro-life Americans — don’t you agree? — should know where the President stands on his thinking on this. It’s a fundamental question.

MS. PSAKI: The President believes in a woman’s right to choose.

MR. JENSEN: But his — when does he believe life begins?

MS. PSAKI: Go ahead. I think we’re going to move on unless you have another question. Go ahead.

MR. JENSEN: Oh, let’s do another question. One more question —

MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.

MR. JENSEN: — unrelated to that.

MS. PSAKI: Okay.

MR. JENSEN: Following up on the question for — on the expanded Child Tax Credit.

MS. PSAKI: Yep.

MR. JENSEN: You have said time and again that this has taken lots of kids and families out of poverty.

MS. PSAKI: Yeah.

MR. JENSEN: A tremendous success there.

MS. PSAKI: Yeah.

MR. JENSEN: But with that now gone — it looks like it’s gone, dead — inflation creeping up, high gas prices, high food prices, how quickly are those same kids and families going to go back into poverty, do you fear?

MS. PSAKI: Well, how it’s implemented — first, the President is going to continue to fight for the Child Tax Credit. It’s something he very much believes in. I just can’t predict what a package will look like and what there will be support from 50 senators on.

What I can tell you is that as individuals who are eligible file their taxes, they will get the other half of the Child Tax Credit benefit from last year. That is not a forever solution, but that is something that many can look ahead to.

The other part of the Build — the President’s Build Back Better Agenda that’s important, as you’re talking about rising costs for people: You know, we have — we have a proposal — the President has a proposal, many Democrats across the board support it, which is — that will lower costs for Americans across the country and all the issues you talked about, things that really weigh on people’s family budgets, whether it’s healthcare, which is a huge — has a huge impact on people’s budgets; childcare, which is contributing to preventing 2 million women from rejoining the workforce. That’s the Build Back Better plan, and that’s something that we know will help lower costs for families.

MR. JENSEN: And finally, does the President have a message for those struggling families who are very worried right now not seeing that extra $500 or $1,000 a month or whatever that are saying, “I can’t afford the groceries. I can’t afford the gas. This is getting very stressful”? A message from the President to those families.

MS. PSAKI: The President would say, “I am here to fight for you, and I — that’s why I’m going to continue to fight to pass legislation that will lower your costs.” And that is a top priority for him.

Watch above via NBC News.