White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to answer a question during Tuesday’s press briefing about what kind of message President Joe Biden was sending to the American people by going to “a billionaire’s compound in Nantucket” for Thanksgiving while inflation could make this Thanksgiving the most expensive in history.
Psaki immediately sought to downplay the question, claiming, “a twenty-pound turkey is a pretty big turkey, I think we can all agree. They’re about $1 more.”
“So not to minimize that, any increase in prices is something the president is concerned about, as is evidenced by his announcement today and as his efforts to push forward on additional relief for the American people,” she claimed. “But I just want to be clear that there are an abundance of Turkeys available, about $1 more for a 20-pound bird, which is a huge bird, if you’re feeding a very big family.”
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“But the president said today that he was sent here to look out for these working and middle-class families who are strained right now,” the reporter pressed. “So what should they read into him leaving now at this time of great personal financial hardship for so many to go to Nantucket for the week?”
“… I hope you’re spending time with your family,” Psaki responded. “I’m spending time with my family. I hope everybody in here is spending time with their family. This is a time to put politics aside, spend time with your loved ones, and talk about what you’re grateful for. I will also tell you spending time working for this president and a past president that you’re president no matter where you are. He will conduct his work from wherever he is on any vacation, and any time he is in Delaware, at Camp David or wherever he may be spending time with his loved ones. He has secure phone capabilities, he has staff traveling with him, and I think the American people can be assured that he will continue to press to lower their costs and ensure that they have more breathing room.”
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TRANSCRIPT:
PETER DOOCY: What message does it send to the middle-class Americans President Biden says that he’s trying to help who are struggling this week to cover the cost of the most expensive Thanksgiving ever, that the president is going to take a few days off at a billionaire’s compound in Nantucket?
JEN PSAKI: Well, first I would say, I don’t know if you’ve ever cooked a turkey before, but a twenty-pound turkey is a pretty big turkey, I think we can all agree. They’re about $1 more.
So not to minimize that, any increase in prices is something the president is concerned about, as is evidenced by his announcement today and as his efforts to push forward on additional relief for the American people. But I just want to be clear that there’s an abundance of Turkeys available, about $1 more for a 20-pound bird, which is a huge bird, if you’re feeding a very big family and that’s something that again, we’ve been working to make sure people have more money in their pockets to address it as the economy is turning back on.
DOOCY: But the president said today that he was sent here to look out for these working and middle-class families who are strained right now. So what should they read into him leaving now at this time of great personal financial hardship for so many to go to Nantucket for the week?
PSAKI: Well, first, I would say, Peter that I hope you’re spending time with your family. I’m spending time with my family. I hope everybody in here is spending time with their family. This is a time to put politics aside, spend time with your loved ones, and talk about what you’re grateful for. I will also tell you spending time working for this president and a past president that you’re president no matter where you are. He will conduct his work from wherever he is on any vacation, and any time he is in Delaware, at Camp David or wherever he may be spending time with his loved ones. He has secure phone capabilities, he has staff traveling with him and I think the American people can be assured that he will continue to press to lower their costs and ensure that they have more breathing room.
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