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'It's Not Funny': Psaki Laughs at Reporter's Question on Border Crisis, Schools

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  March 11, 2021 4:45 PM

The Biden administration is drowning in a sea of euphemisms as it tries to deal with the crisis challenge at the border, and on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not help convey the notion that the administration is taking it as seriously as it ought to be.

During a line of questioning from Fox News’s Peter Doocy about how President Biden is handling the border situation and schools reopening, Psaki laughed, forcing the reporter to remind her that it’s “not funny.”

At first, Doocy asked if the administration had a messaging problem because more and more migrants are flooding the border by the day, some of whom are wearing shirts that say “Biden, please let us in.”

Psaki wasted no time taking shots at the Trump administration’s “morality problem” – sending kids “back on a treacherous journey,” adding that “that’s not the approach of this administration,” so it’s understandable more children are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We made a policy decision that that was the right, humane step to take,” she said, referring to unaccompanied minors.

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During part of her response, Psaki mentioned the new CDC guidelines that said the migrant facilities could be at 100 percent capacity, which Doocy jumped on, noting that not all schools are back at that same level.

“But since they are not all back, from an administration position or from your perspective, have the Border Patrol unions and the HHS unions been easier to work with than the teachers unions?” he wondered. 

MS. PSAKI: I think that’s a little bit of mixing different circumstances.  I would say that —

Q    It’s — it’s children all in tight quarters.  I mean, a classroom —

MS. PSAKI:  I — (laughs). 

Q    It’s not funny.

MS. PSAKI:  Not quite.  Not quite.  I would say that — let’s — let’s take a responsible approach to the two issues. Okay?  One is schools reopening.  There’s been eight mitigation steps that have been announced by the CDC to implement.  Right?

Q    Yeah.

MS. PSAKI:  Every school district is going to work to implement those on a timeline that is — they can effectively do.  Many school districts are reopening.  Right?  Many are reopening, every single week — and day and week, right? 

That is a different circumstance than what we are seeing at the border.  And HHS oversees the facilities — these facilities, right?  They’re working with — they’re working on ensuring we can have more kids safely.  They are working to implement CDC guidelines, but they are different circumstances. 

And certainly we’re working with the school districts, and we’re also working with HHS to open these facil- — or to ensure that kids are treated with safety and care in these facilities. (White House)