White House Press Sec Psaki cuts off reporter who asks about Biden’s part in fueling ‘systemic racism’ during career
WHITE House Press Secretary Jen Psaki cut off a reporter after he asked if President Joe Biden acknowledged his own “culpability” in systemic racism in the United States.
The press secretary was asked a question by New York Post reporter Steven Nelson regarding Biden’s own accountability in perpetuating racial injustice.
“To what extent does President Biden acknowledge his own role in systemic racism and how does that inform his current policy positions?” Nelson Psaki during Wednesday’s press briefing.
“Well, I would say that one of the president’s core objectives is addressing racial injustice in this country, not just through his rhetoric, but through his actions,” she answered.
“And what anyone should look to is his advocacy for passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” she continued.
“For nominating leaders to the Department of Justice to address long-outdated policies and to ask his leadership team here in the White House to prioritize these issues in his presidency, which is current and today and not from 30 years ago.”
After she was done answering, she called on another reporter when Nelson threw a follow-up question of: “Does he believe it’s important to accept his own culpability?”
“I think I’ve answered your question,” Psaki tersely said as she called on another reporter.
The reporter’s question came a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts of manslaughter and murder in the killing of George Floyd.
Nelson’s question hinged on Biden’s own role in establishing federal laws in the 1980s and 1990s that increased jailtime for minorities.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday night following Chauvin’s guilty verdict, Biden expressed condolences for systemic racism in the nation.
“It was a murder in the full light of day. And it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism the vice president just referred to,” Biden said.
Biden was one of a number of senators who wrote the 1994 crime bill that would impose a mandatory life sentence without parole for a third serious drug conviction.
This often sent people to prison for life for selling weed.
Psaki, during the briefing, did not say if Biden would honor his promise during the campaign trail to release “everyone” serving time for marijuana offenses.
“What you’re asking me is a legal question. I point you to the Department of Justice,” she said.
“His view is that the conversation right now should be should not be focused on reconciliation, so we focus on finding a bipartisan path forward,” Psaki said regarding the current Floyd bill.
“This is going to be a discussion. And a lot of the conversations right now, as you know from covering this, are happening between Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker and like Sen. Tim Scott. And they’re going to have to decide where they can find agreement moving forward,” Psaki ended.