(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) Less than a week after White House press secretary Jen Psaki called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy an a**hole, she was again snapping at him for doing his job.
This time around it was because Doocy had the audacity to question the inconsistencies of the Biden administration’s mask mandates, in the wake of a federal judge striking down the authoritarian COVID theater for airlines and public transportation.
Subsequent to Psaki’s latest rift with reality, the Biden administration displayed an equal talent for obfuscation when it announced it would appeal the mask ruling, if the Biden administration concludes the mask mandate “remains necessary for public health.”
On the opacity meter, the Biden administration’s statement almost rivaled Psaki’s scrambling for cover.
“You said about this mask ruling out of a federal court in Florida that it’s a ‘disappointing decision,’ and you say you continue to recommend that people wear masks,” Doocy noted during Tuesday’s press briefing.
“Why is it that we can sit here in the White House briefing room with no masks, but people can’t sit in an airplane cabin with no masks?” Doocy asked.
Psaki devolved quickly into what has become her trademark hostile response, when she’s asked questions that require answers she’s unwilling to provide.
“Well, Peter, I’m not a doctor,” Psaki snapped. “You’re not a doctor — that I’m aware of. If you’re a doctor, I wasn’t aware of that today — until today.”
After Doocy graciously confirmed that he was, in fact, not a doctor, and didn’t even play one on TV, Psaki delivered more snide swipes instead of legitimate answers that the public deserves.
“Okay, not a doctor,” Psaki said. “Just making sure. I don’t know.
“But these determinations — remember the masking guidance is — there are — is green, yellow, and red,” she blathered. “We are currently in a green zone in Washington, D.C., so they’re not recommending it.”
The unmasked Psaki, who is double-vaxxed and boosted but still came down recently with COVID, continued providing a long, winding non-answer to a short, straight-forward question.
“Some people can still wear a mask if they want to — many people do — or wear them in meetings or wear them at certain times where you’re going to be around or sitting close to people, or maybe you have an immunocompromised parent or — or friend,” Psaki said.
“And so people make that decision — And there’s — this is based on health considerations and data that the CDC looks at about transmissibility as — as we’ve seen an increase in cases on — on airplanes,” Psaki said, echoing a dubious talking point that even major airline CEOs have abandoned.
Taking Psaki’s ramblings about multi-colored zones to heart, Doocy lobbed another reasonable question.
“Would the president support if a flight is leaving from an airport in a green zone, those people don’t have to wear masks?” Doocy pressed.
“Again, Peter, there’s been long a difference from the beginning about people on an airplane and in federal transportation vehicles and situations than where they are in locations, like we here — here continue to be, in Washington, D.C., a green zone,” Psaki responded.
‘Well, Peter, I’m not a doctor, you’re not a doctor … This is based on health considerations and data that the CDC looks at’ — Press secretary Jen Psaki replied to Fox News’ reporter Peter Doocy’s questions regarding the court ruling on mask mandates for public transportation pic.twitter.com/fvkJQCGs8H
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 19, 2022
Psaki never did give a straight answer to Doocy’s question and her obfuscating rudeness was so bad, it drew the ire of former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
The former Trump spokesperson and current Fox News “Outnumbered” co-host criticized Psaki’s disingenuous dodge over the mask mandate getting toasted.
“You’re the press secretary and you know how government works,” McEnany said.
“That’s a snarky answer. The answer is we respect the opinion of the federal judiciary, but that’s not what she said.
McEnany encouraged the Biden administration to appeal the ruling, which she said would serve little but to highlight the administration’s dictatorial bent.
“I hope Jen Psaki fights very hard against this ruling,” McEnany said. “I hope President Biden does and I hope they show the true autocrats they are.”
The Biden administration delivered on cue.
“The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health,” Biden’s Justice Department opined in its statement on appealing the ruling.
“That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. This is the most important announcement I’ve ever made. The federal mask mandate is over. Take off your mask if you choose!”
A wonderful moment mid flight on @alaskaair today! pic.twitter.com/nWSatDRB83
— Ben Dietderich (@ben_dietd) April 18, 2022
