Jen Psaki went on her MSNBC show and called Karoline Leavitt a liar.
That alone would be juicy enough. But the absolute nerve of this particular accusation, coming from this particular person, sent the internet into a full-blown meltdown on Thursday night. As reported, Psaki accused Leavitt of refusing to engage with reporters honestly, turning the briefing room into a personal comfort zone, and peddling whatever version of events came from the Oval Office.
Let that sink in for a second. This is the very same Psaki who spent eighteen months behind that exact podium telling America she would "circle back" every time a question got too uncomfortable. The woman who insisted over and over again that Joe Biden was mentally sharp and physically on top of his game. Recently released Biden tapes have now confirmed what pretty much everybody already suspected, that those claims were completely bogus.
So her credibility on the topic of honesty from the White House lectern? Let's just say it's running on fumes.
But the real kicker came when journalists who actually covered Leavitt's briefings in person showed up with receipts. Wid Lyman, an independent reporter who regularly worked out of the White House during Leavitt's tenure, fired back almost immediately. He confirmed that the briefing room absolutely changed under the Trump administration, but not in the way Psaki was suggesting.
Lyman shared two quotes he had personally heard from people in the media who worked at the White House. One said there was "way, way more going on during this administration compared to the last." Another called the entire press operation "first-class." Not exactly the damning portrait Psaki was trying to paint.
He also pointed out something pretty telling about access. The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room has 49 permanent seats, all reserved for legacy and major outlets. But Lyman noted that standing room crowds of additional reporters regularly packed in for Leavitt's sessions. He wrote that he routinely heard about how much more packed the room was compared to previous administrations.
More reporters. More access. Glowing reviews from the people actually in the building. That is the opposite of what Psaki was claiming on cable television.
The White House did not hold back either. Their official response was a clean one liner. They said "Jen 'Circle Back' Psaki couldn't hold a candle to Karoline Leavitt." Short, sweet, devastating.
Here is where the contrast gets truly wild. Leavitt departed the briefing room having broadened press access, collected praise from reporters on both sides of the aisle, returned from maternity leave, and accomplished all of it at just 28 years old. Psaki left after spending more than a year helping to hide a sitting president's cognitive decline from the entire country.
If Psaki genuinely wants to have a debate about who disrespected that podium, the evidence is already stacked up and waiting. She might want to circle back on that one.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
