In a stunning revelation, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has been caught falsely claiming in her new book, “Say More,” that President Joe Biden never checked his watch during a ceremony for soldiers killed in the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. This claim contradicts photo evidence, media fact-checks, and statements made by Gold Star parents of a U.S. service member killed in the Kabul airport attack who were in attendance during the ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
According to Axios, Psaki, now a host on MSNBC, wrote that “the president looked at his watch only after the ceremony had ended. Moments later, he and the First Lady headed toward their car.” She also accused Biden’s critics of engaging in “misinformation” and using the image of Biden checking his watch to make him “appear insensitive, concerned only about how much time had passed.”
However, Psaki’s assertions have been contradicted by news photos and eyewitness accounts from Gold Star families who were present. Shana Chappell, mother of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, penned an outraged Facebook post, stating, “I watched you disrespect us all 5 different times by checking your watch!!!”
Similarly, Mark Schmitz, father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, testified to Congress that “while I stood there on the tarmac watching you check your watch over and over again, all I wanted to do was shout out, ‘It’s two f***ing thirty, a**hole.'”
In another glaring discrepancy, Psaki’s book misattributed sentences taken from USA Today to The Washington Post while attempting to support her claim that Biden looked at his watch only after the ceremony. In response to Axios’ report, Psaki provided a statement admitting the error, stating that the “detail in a few lines of the book about the exact number of times he looked at his watch will be removed in future reprints and the ebook.”
Psaki’s book mishap has drawn deserved backlash on social media. RealClearPolitics co-founder and president Tom Bevan remarked, “Jen Psaki lied in her book about an easily provable fact.” While Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) called her out on calling Gold Star families liars, terming it as “a pathetic partisan attempt to defend your boss and a bad look.”
The controversy surrounding Psaki’s book, and her attempts to rewrite history, only serve to underscore the importance of seeking the truth and holding our public officials accountable for their actions. It is more vital than ever for journalists to maintain their integrity and responsibility in accurately reporting events as they unfold.
In conclusion, as the facts laid bare in this report demonstrate, the truth cannot be denied. The attempt to obfuscate and manipulate reality has been exposed, and with it, a critical reminder for those in positions of power to uphold honesty and respect for the sacrifices made by our brave servicemen and women.
