‘Like Nails on a Chalkboard’: Don’t Call Jen Psaki ‘Nice’ and Other Takeaways From Vogue’s Profile

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Not calling White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki “nice” is just one of the helpful hints and takeaways from her profile in the latest issue of Vogue magazine.

News of the profile bubbled up in June when legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz was spotted at the White House, causing a spasm of complaint from Psaki’s Trupm-era counterpart, Kayleigh McEnany.

In comments on Fox News, McEnany said she did not want a glowing magazine profile herself, but called out what she said was a double-standard that denied such treatment to the likes of Sarah Sanders and other Trump figures.

“Instead of the glowing profiles, there were hit pieces repeatedly, time and time again,” McEnany said, and ripped what she called ” a fawning press corps like this, a fawning media sycophantically covering members of the Biden administration.”

That profile is out now, and as promised, it features a generous helping of Leibovitz’s striking portraits and a lengthy profile of Psaki penned by Lizzie Widdicombe. Here are some of the top takeaways:

Psaki Confirms the Obama Press Shop Could Be Dicks Sometimes

Reporters who covered President Barack Obama’s White House often complained about getting dressed down or otherwise mistreated by press office staff. NYT’s Peter Baker voiced that criticism in the Vogue piece, and Psaki gently confirmed it.

“They’re my friends, and they are some of absolutely the most talented and best people I worked with in politics, but the culture was to yell at reporters, slam the phone down.” After traveling with journalists for weeks on end, and, in many cases, bonding with them, Psaki realized, “That’s never going to be comfortable to me.”

Don’t Call Jen Psaki “Nice”

In one passage that’s getting some attention, Psaki followed up her contrast with the Obama press shop’s pricklier denizens by cautioning against swinging too far the other way and calling her “nice.”

(S)he developed a more personable rapport—charming her interlocutors with little jokes, asking about their hometowns and families. She’s not a pushover, though. At one point, she tells me that she hates when people describe her as “nice.” “It is like nails on a chalkboard,” she says. “And it still happens. I was introduced to a foreign delegation in the hallway the other day as ‘This is Jen. You may have seen her do the briefings. She’s a really nice person.’ I’m like, Really? You can’t think of a better description?” The word is sexist and a little diminishing, but, she says, “it’s also this desire to put people in a box. Yes, sometimes I’m friendly and joyful, and sometimes I’m tough, and sometimes I’m straightforward.”

Jen Psaki Was a Target of Russian Propaganda

The profile offers an overview of Psaki’s career that includes the Russian government’s intense propaganda campaign against her when she was the chief State Department spokesperson, one which carried over when she was named White House press secretary.

There were T-shirts printed with Psaki’s face, and conspiracy theories about a rumored pregnancy. Some of the criticism found its way into the U.S. media. “At first, it was upsetting,” Psaki says. “I remember talking about it at a briefing and getting a little choked up, because you feel like you are being picked apart.” Eventually, some seasoned Russia correspondents explained the dynamic: “They were like, ‘This is a badge of honor. This is telling you that your message is getting through, and they need to discredit you to their public.’ ”

Jen Psaki Has a Water Bottle That Reminds Her To Drink

The profile contains several references to a fascinating bit of tech — “a neon-green water bottle that flashes occasionally, reminding her to hydrate.”

Such a gadget is especially useful in the White House, where the air is very dry, and the pace is hectic. It’s a wonder there aren’t cupholders in the briefing room.

Talk The Way People Talk

Other profiles have gone into President Joe Biden’s disdain for impenetrable jargon and acronyms, but the Vogue article contains a glimpse at how that affects Psaki and her messaging.

Along with tone, Psaki explains, the president is focused on eliminating bureaucratic jargon that might confuse or alienate the public. She recalls briefing him on Covid-relief checks. “He said, ‘How are you explaining how people are going to get these checks if they don’t file taxes?’ I said, ‘Well, if you are a non-filer—’ ” Biden interrupted her. “He’s like, ‘Non-filer? Nobody knows what that is. That’s not how anybody speaks.’ ”

Jen Psaki Does Her Own Makeup

While the Trump White House employed a professional hair and makeup person, Vogue reveals that Psaki does her own — with a little help from a friend at a certain cable news network.

She owes much of her current regimen—black eyeliner, simple lipstick—to a CNN makeup artist who has texted her tips. (Psaki has worked as a commentator for the network.)

Jen Psaki is Said to Not Be Easily Flapped

David Axelrod, on Psaki’s handling of the Obama 2008 press bus: “Things happen on the road. You’re faced with a shitload of reporters, and all of them have different stories they’re working on and problems and needs. When she went out on the road, things would go smoothly. She’d handle it. She’d manage what needed to be managed. That’s an incredibly important quality in this business.”

Women Send Her Barettes

Several aspects of the burgeoning Psaki fandom are covered in the article, including #PsakiBombs, but there’s one new detail. While many of her online fans love what they call the trademark “Psaki hair flip,” apparently not all of them do. Widdicombe writes that Psaki has a desk drawer full of barettes “sent to the White House by older ladies who are apparently horrified to see her brushing her hair out of her face on television.”

But fans of the flip can rest easy: the Psaki ‘do isn’t going anywhere.

She’s not changing the straight red bob, though. “I couldn’t operate a curling iron to save my life,” she says.

The profile also touches on her personal life, her time as a student athlete, and of course, those Leibovitz photos. Check it out here.