Psaki Slips Up and Accidentally Says There’s a ‘Crisis’ at the Border, Later Corrects Herself When Reporter Points Out

After weeks of reluctance to do so, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki referred to the migrant situation on the U.S. southern border as a “crisis.”

Psaki used part of her press briefing on Thursday to field questions about America’s diplomatic conversations with Mexico. The press secretary said one of the White House’s diplomatic objectives was sending Mexico vaccines to counteract the coronavirus pandemic, and another was to get Mexico’s cooperation with the migrant situation.

When pressed on these matters, Psaki said “there have been expectations — unrelated to any vaccine doses or requests for them — that they would be partners in dealing with the crisis on the border.”

“There have been requests, unrelated, that for doses of these vaccines, every relationship has multiple layers of conversations that are happening at the same time,” Psaki continued.

Psaki’s border “crisis” acknowledgement comes as she and the White House have faced extensive scrutiny over the migrant surge at the border, the amount of children who’ve been detained at border patrol facilities, and the Biden administration’s lack of transparency on the subject. Later in the briefing, however, she walked back her comment when asked if it reflects a “change in the administration’s view.”

“Nope,” Psaki answered.

Watch above, via CSPAN3.