During the latest White House press briefing, administration spokesperson Jen Psaki quipped a snarky response to a question about the newly-created Space Force. Naturally, the few outlets covering it are reporting on Republican reaction to the snark.
Summary
During yesterday’s White House press briefing, Jen Psaki responded to a question about the mission and scope of the U.S. Space Force with condescension, comparing it to a question from two weeks ago regarding Air Force One’s color scheme.
- The remark angered some Republican members of Congress, saying Psaki should “immediately apologize” for “blatantly diminish[ing] an entire branch of our military.”
- A group of Florida Republicans condemned Psaki’s statement, with Rep. Michael Waltz saying the Biden administration needs to take the Space Force seriously to combat China’s efforts at space dominance.
- The dust-up forced Psaki to issue a tweet affirming the Biden administration’s commitment to the Space Force, but it didn’t quite rise to the level of an apology.
- Nearly all liberal outlets ignored the story, though Newsweek framed their story around the Republican response, a common theme in mainstream media, and highlighting the controversial remarks of freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert.
- A report by the New York Post opened its article suggesting Psaki was unprepared for the question in her attempt to equate it to a question from two weeks ago about Air Force One.
- Original reporting by Newsmax highlighted the Republican response, but in a tone far less hostile than Newsweek.
- Breitbart provided a broader look at the short history of the new military branch, writing that Biden did not emphasize the Space Force at all during the campaign and suggesting he is unlikely to axe the Trump-era creation.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
