Monday on The Psaki Show, Fox’s Peter Doocy made what could be one of his final cracks at White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki before her rumored move to MSNBC and he made it count with a tense exchange on transgenderism, the Florida parental rights in education law, and whether the White House thinks children at age six should learn sex ed.
Doocy pivoted from question about Russia’s war against Ukraine (more on that later) to one White House reporters had refused to ask: “A question about college sports. In some places like the Ivy League now, there are biological males competing against women. Does the White House think that is fair?”
Psaki began by saying the White House isn’t “the governing body for the NCAA or any other [sports] system out there” and, after acknowledging his question was in reference to transgender Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, she framed the need to endorse transgenderism as a way of “protect[ing] the dignity and identity of all Americans” as it relates to their mental health.
After she said the administration “hope[s] all leaders” join them, Doocy brought up Florida’s education bill that forbids sex education for children from pre-K through third grade: “At what age does the White House think that students should be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity?”
As we’ve learned, the left has shown that it indeed wants children that young to be exposed to such topics and Psaki was no exception as she said the law’s “a reflection of...politicians in Florida propagating misinformed, hateful policies that do absolutely nothing to address the real issues.”
Psaki added that the Department of Education will be “ready to evaluate what to do next” and while “parents across the country are looking to, you know, national, state, and district leaders to support our nation's students,” Florida’s failed that test in “ensur[ing] that kids are treated equally in schools.”
Given Psaki’s answer, Doocy’s final question represented the logical conclusion of what many on the left opposing Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have shown themselves to be in support of: “If you guys oppose this law that bans classroom instruction about — about sexual orientation and gender identity in K-3, does the White House support that kind of classroom instruction before kindergarten?”
An incensed Psaki countered: “Do you have examples of schools in Florida that are teaching kindergarteners about sex education?”
Doocy pointed out he’s merely seeking Biden’s “opinion about this law,” but Psaki pulled out yet another proverbial fainting couch in lamenting that DeSantis’s “harsh law” has placed “parents and LGBTQ+ kids in a very difficult, heartbreaking circumstance.”
Before that tense exchange, Doocy led with one about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and, amid the talk of bringing charges or war crimes, how exactly would Putin face accountability in the form of jail time (versus, say, conviction in absentia).
“So, President Biden is talking about putting Putin on a war time trial. Does he expect Putin to turn himself in to stand trial? Or does he think somebody's going to have to go into Russia and arrest him,” he asked.
Psaki remained non-committal, saying she couldn’t go into or “prejudge” “the mechanisms” of how it would “work” because the world isn’t “quite” there yet even though “there is a precedent...of if convicted what would happen.”
To see the relevant transcript from April 4’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing [via C-SPAN]
April 4, 2022
3:48 p.m. EasternPETER DOOCY: So, President Biden is talking about putting Putin on a war time trial. Does he expect Putin to turn himself in to stand trial? Or does he think somebody's going to have to go into Russia and arrest him?
JEN PSAKI: Well, without getting into the mechanisms, which I know were the good questions everybody was asking our national security adviser, there is precedent in the past for how this process can work. We're not going to prejudge what the process would work or — or what steps would be taken through — through an international legal process. So, that's not quite where we're at right now, Peter and I can't give you a sense of the mechanisms of — of if convicted what would happen.
DOOCY: Okay. A question about college sports. In some places like the Ivy League now, there are biological males competing against women. Does the White House think that is fair?
PSAKI: Well, I would note that we're not the governing body for the NCAA or any other system out there — that I believe you're probably referring to the case over in — in swimming in the NCAA. We understand how important sports are to student-athletes across the country, but the NCAA obviously makes — puts these policies in place. What I would say, Peter, if we look at this broadly is we celebrated International Transgender Day of Visibility last week with a slate of new actions to ensure we're continuing to — we continue to protect the dignity and identity of all Americans and at a moment where we're looking and we’re seeing increased mental health issues related to young people, especially LGBTQ+ young people, we're providing additional funding and resources to address this and we hope all leaders focus on those important issues and the impact on many of these young people who are — are impacted across the country.
DOOCY: And then one about this new law in Florida: At what age does the White House think that students should be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity?
PSAKI: I would say first of all, Peter, we have spoken to the “Don't Say Gay” bill in the past, I believe is what you're referring to, and made clear that, as we look at this — this — this law, what we think it's a reflection of is politicians in Florida propagating misinformed, hateful policies that do absolutely nothing to address the real issues. The Department of Education is well positioned and ready to evaluate what to do next and — and its implementation — whether its implementation violates federal civil rights law, but I would note that parents across the country are looking to, you know, national, state, and district leaders to support our nation's students, to ensure that kids are treated equally in schools and that is certainly not — this is not a reflection of that.
DOOCY: And, so, just the last one. If you guys oppose this law that bans classroom instruction about — about sexual orientation and gender identity in K-3, does the White House support that kind of classroom instruction before kindergarten?
PSAKI: Do you have examples of schools in Florida that are teaching kindergarteners about sex education?
DOOCY: I'm just asking for the President's opinion about this law.
PSAKI: I think that's a relevant question. Because I think this is a politically charged, harsh law that is putting parents and LGBTQ+ kids in a very difficult, heartbreaking circumstance and, so, I actually think that's a pretty relevant question.
