Jen Psaki Bids Emotional Farewell To WH Press Corps

Axios reports:

Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki teared up during her last briefing on Friday, thanking President Biden for the opportunity to serve in the role. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to get emotional,” she said. She also thanked the reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room room for their “pivotal role.”

“At times we have disagreed. That is democracy in action. That is it working. Without accountability, without debate, government is not as strong,” she said. “Thank you for what you do, thank you for making me better and most importantly thank you for the work every day you do to make this country stronger.”

The Hill reports:



“People always ask me … whether Washington is rotten, whether everyone is corrupt here and nothing good happens and we all just argue with each other,” she said. “I, having done this job, believe the absolute opposite is true.”

Psaki’s final appearance was not without interruption — a reporter sitting in the back of the room repeatedly interrupted the beginning of the briefing to demand Psaki take questions from the back rows.

Psaki will turn the podium over to Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary who will become the first Black and first openly gay person to serve as press secretary. Jean-Pierre will start briefing next week.