Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the seething statement she released over the weekend. In it, she attacked Democratic Senator Joe Manchin for allegedly negotiating President Joe Biden's multi-trillion-dollar Build Back Better plan in bad faith.
"If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator's colleagues in the House and Senate," Psaki said. "Senator Manchin's comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework 'in good faith.'"
Today, Psaki doubled down on the statement and said there is no regret at the White House about "aggressively communicating" with Manchin.
"I think our statement speaks for itself," Psaki said, adding her belief the statement was a "statement of facts."
PSAKI: "No, we don't have regrets about aggressively communicating about" Build Back Better negotiations. pic.twitter.com/6arcYEh7Ou
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 20, 2021
REPORTER: "What was the reaction among senior staffers here when Joe Manchin said that the president's aides alienated him and that's the real reason that he backed away?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 20, 2021
PSAKI: "I think our statement yesterday speaks for itself." pic.twitter.com/nEfYHmQmvw
Meanwhile, Manchin is punching back at behavior from the White House and detailed how the left tried to bully him into voting for the monstrous legislation.
"This is not the president, this is staff," Manchin told West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) December 20, 2021
"I just got to the wit's end," he said, adding that WH staff "drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is."
MANCHIN: "They figured surely to God we can move 1 person, surely we can badger & beat 1 person up. Surely we get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough they'll just say 'okay, I'll vote for anything and just quit.' Well, guess what? I'm from West Virginia." pic.twitter.com/GX6RTxaP1n
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 20, 2021