Great Briefing, Dismal Debut, Durbin Dissents | Winners & Losers in Today’s Green Room

CBS News White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe and ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce grilled White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over President Joe Biden‘s use of the phrase “Ultra-MAGA,” asking who thought it up and “Why the need to kick it up a notch? MAGA wasn’t enough?”

On the heels of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade if it takes effect, President Biden has taken to ripping current Republicans as “Ultra-MAGA” over a raft of issues that include abortion rights, tax policy, and programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Bruce and O’Keefe teamed up to drill down on the phrase, First was Bruce, who asked who thought it up and why the existing phrase “MAGA” was considered insufficient.

“Who came up with this phrase ‘Ultra-MAGA’? Why the need to kick it up a notch? MAGA wasn’t enough? I mean, why now use this phrase?” she asked.

Next, O’Keefe picked up the line of questioning by asking Psaki if Senators Rob Portman, Susan Collins, and Mitt Romney would fit the designation.

The topic, and the answer to their questions, were a big hit as news, especially on social media. The questions managed to address something that both sides of the political divide would want answers to, albeit for different reasons.

In short, exactly what people want and expect from a White House reporter.
Or two.

Symone Sanders‘ new show on MSNBC had it all: a well-known host who just left a presidential administration, heaps of promotion, a plump timeslot, and a splashy first guest.

It still flopped in the ratings.

With a paltry 29,000 in-demo viewers, and 361,000 total viewers according to Nielsen ratings, the debut episode was a small affair.

Sanders is a former press secretary for Vice President Kamala Harris. Before that she was an adviser to President Joe Biden‘s campaign. Her previous political job was as national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders campaign.

In between those gigs, she was a CNN contributor. Now, after them, she’s an MSNBC host – soon to be joined at the company by current White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

The network’s January announcement of the new show was an early move in a larger shuffling of the line-up following the departure of Brian Williams.

By way of comparison, the Symone premiered in third, and that 361k total was dwarfed by Fox’s 842,000 at 4pm.

The former administration official’s first big interview was with First Lady Jill Biden.

Mediaite’s Colby Hall this week is raising questions about the revolving door phenomenon.

Viewers may turn out to have the same questions, too. Should they turn up at some point.