MS NOW host Jen Psaki sharply criticized new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's initial press briefing, pointing to several moments she deemed awkward and inaccurate. Psaki, a former White House press secretary herself, detailed Zacharia's "rocky start" in a segment Tuesday.
Psaki began by showing a clip of Zacharia expressing honor to serve and stating her long-held desire to work for the administration. "Oh, Katie, Katie, Katie," Psaki remarked. "I am so deeply uncomfortable already... Not going to lie, that beginning part was rough. It was rough to digest, rough to watch."
Psaki also highlighted Zacharia's claim of "record highs" for attendance at a recent rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Psaki then contrasted this with footage showing a sparse crowd at the event.
During the question-and-answer portion of the briefing, Psaki noted Zacharia's decision to call on a reporter from Breitbart News for the first question, instead of The Associated Press, which Psaki described as one of the oldest and most trusted news organizations. The Breitbart reporter asked if more "new media" outlets would be heard at the White House, to which Zacharia responded affirmatively.
Psaki questioned the timing and substance of this exchange, particularly in light of ongoing international conflicts. "At a time when we are in the middle of a war... the hard-hitting question from Breitbart was, 'Will you welcome in more outlets like Breitbart to the briefing room?'" Psaki said, sarcastically highlighting Zacharia's "shocking, news-breaking answer" of "Yes! Yes, we will!"
Psaki further critiqued Zacharia's response to a question from Fox News reporter Peter Doocy regarding whether the U.S. had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Zacharia's reply, "I'll have to get back to you on that," prompted Psaki to offer advice for future briefings.
"Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago," Psaki stated. "Despite that, your boss has invited Vladimir Putin back into the world stage... The Ukrainians are suspicious for good reasons about your boss’s intentions and whether or not they’re getting the intel they need. So yeah, maybe that one, that should be on the tippy-top of the list of topics you’re prepared for next time."