Washington Examiner, February 2021
Experts say President Biden undercutting White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week on school reopenings does not put her credibility at risk — yet.
But less than a month into Biden’s term, it’s merely the latest misstep in what is becoming an awkward dance between the pair as the administration tries to marry, divorce, and explain away the mixed messages being broadcast by its two most public voices.
For Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos, “communication glitches” between a president and their White House press secretary are neither new nor uncommon.
“Especially for new administrations,” Panagopoulos told the Washington Examiner. “As an isolated instance, this is unlikely to cause much damage, but repeated disjunctures of this sort could be harmful” to Psaki’s trust level among reporters, he added.
