Jen Psaki, a former press secretary for the White House, said during her first MSCNBC interview after joining the network that Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid might give the Democrats the majority.
The 43-year-old former Joe Biden staff member suggested the former president will be a “energising force” for voters in her first appearance since being replaced by Karine Jean-Pierre in May on last night’s Alex Wagner Tonight.
The former West Wing employee, who previously worked in Barack Obama’s administration, will host her own programme the next year and will be a political commentator for MSNBC for the midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race.
On her first programme, she made it quite obvious that she was a Democrat by suggesting that Trump’s campaign may serve as “a reminder of what’s at risk.”
Nothing gives Democrats greater motivation and enthusiasm, according to her, than Donald Trump.
They like pointing out how different they are from him. Many independents don’t want to see another Trump administration, and the more involved and outspoken he is in the election, the more it serves as a reminder to voters of the issues at stake. Having Trump on the ballot also serves as a major motivator in many of these contests.
In other places, Psaki claimed that Democrats had “flipped” the narrative around the midterm elections and that the party is now in the lead.
As the midterm elections are just 60 days away, Wagner questioned her, “How do you think of these of these midterms right now? Sitting as we watch this back and forth among Republicans on abortion, Lindsay Graham, and Mitch McConnell, they’re having a hard time with this.”
We often discuss how abortion is a driving force in this place…
Due to these factors, the midterm elections may wind up being more of a test of Republican than of Democratic dominance. Do you have that opinion?
Psaki said, “Certainly.”
And when you consider it, it is amazing. Democrats weren’t very interested in the midterm elections, according to the NBC survey from January. They just weren’t interested in it.
The interest and passion for participation has almost increased by 20 percentage points from what they first believed they would do.
That is mostly tied to Dobbs, primarily related to women and young women nationwide, and even to men who are afraid that a woman’s freedom to choose will be taken away from her.
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, a contentious decision by the Supreme Court, has energised the left’s base and spurred a rush of voter registrations, while Roe v. Wade has also been a contentious subject that might result in a higher turnout.
“The second fact is that it’s virtually always a referendum when you’re the party in power,” Psaki said. “I’ve been in White Houses when you’re the party in power.”
“People are assessing their level of satisfaction with the direction the nation is going.” It’s difficult to conduct a referendum against you; when there is a choice, it works much better.
It is now largely reversed. It’s quite uncommon for that to be the case, but the Democratic Party members who make up the ruling party are upset.
People want to participate in the process, and many Democrats, women, and independents who weren’t all that excited were planning to be in their pyjamas on election night a few months ago. They don’t want their rights to be restricted, which has been a significant factor that has changed the race’s dynamics.
Since you asked me generally about the midterm elections, Psaki said, “I’ll also say that although I believe a lot of Democrats are feeling better—as they should be—a there’s long way to go here. I believe that winning the House would be a difficult task if the election were held tomorrow. That would be a fair jump.
“The Senate is more of a tossup,” but “we should be paying very careful attention to the particular dynamics in each of these contests.”
Psaki is the most recent official from the Biden administration to join the liberal network after Symone Sanders, the top spokeswoman for Kamala Harris, was recruited by Peacock.
Uncertainty surrounds Psaki’s increased pay, which may exceed seven figures.
She received criticism from reporters in the rear of the briefing room for not providing them the chance to ask more questions during her time at the White House for her sharp interactions with reporters, particularly Fox News’ Peter Doocy.
In the closing weeks of the Biden administration, she kept quiet about the decision despite calls from ethical groups to be open about any discussions she had with MSNBC before leaving her taxpayer-funded position.
In response to Psaki’s announcement in May, Michael Chamberlain, head of ethics watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust, told DailyMail.com: “We wish Ms. Psaki the best of luck in her new post.”
But the lack of openness and ethical issues surrounding her job hunt while she was the White House Press Secretary created a terrible precedent, particularly for a government that prides itself on being the most moral and open in history.
In the future, we anticipate the White House doing better.
The network said in a statement on Tuesday that Psaki’s new show, which is scheduled to premiere in the first quarter of 2023, will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics.”
Psaki most recently worked as the Biden administration’s first 16 months’ White House spokesman.
She formerly held the positions of Department of State spokesman and director of communications for the White House under former President Barack Obama.
Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC, said in a statement that “her considerable experience in government, on the campaign trail, and perspective as a White House and Washington insider sets MSNBC different.”
She is a well-known face and a respected figure to MSNBC viewers, and we eagerly anticipate her perspective throughout this important election season.
Psaki said in her own statement that she was “thrilled” to join the network.
“The knowledge and perspective I offer to this new phase will be fueled by my experience working in government, from the White House to the State Department, and years before that on national political campaigns.
“I’m happy to join the wonderful MSNBC team. Fact-based and serious dialogues about the huge problems on people’s minds throughout the nation have never been more vital.”
“I can’t wait to establish a place on streaming where we dissect the data, discover the underlying causes of the problems, and perhaps have some fun along the way.”
She added the following tweet: “Excited to join the amazing MSNBC family this autumn.” It has never been more crucial to dissect the data and identify the root causes of the problems that matter most to Americans.
An unidentified member of the White House press corps said in an April Politico article that Psaki’s skill at her job and her quick wit made it “boring” for reporters to try to get a story out of her during her daily briefings.