Psaki Confronted With Polls Showing Independents Give Biden a “D” on Economy, Says Biden Has No “Free Time or Any Time to Think”

On 1/5/2022, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was confronted with polling showing independent voters — the group that secured Biden’s election — gave the president near-failing grades on the economy. Psaki refused to condemn schools spending federal relief funds on critical race theory, admitted Biden has no “free time or any time to think,” and dodged questions about why Biden had not renewed a partnership that kept store-bought COVID tests more affordable. Biden himself said there was “a lot of reason to be hopeful in 2020” — accidentally referencing the wrong year — and appeared shocked to learn the price of beef had skyrocketed.

Independents Give Biden a “D”

A reporter cited a CNBC/Change Research poll showing independent voters gave Biden a “D across the board on economic issues” and only 30% said Build Back Better would grow the economy and create jobs. “What is your own internal polling telling you about whether independents want Build Back Better and whether you should recalibrate for a different set of policy proposals?” the reporter asked.

Psaki deflected. “Without getting into internal polling, I will tell you that Build Back Better, as you know, hasn’t passed yet,” she said. “What we see in a lot of polling is that people like the components of the bill, but they don’t know exactly what’s in Build Back Better and what it means. And it’s always easier to sell a package to the public once it’s passed.”

Biden Shocked by $5 Hamburger

Biden delivered remarks saying he was “entering 2022 in a position of unique economic strength” but then shared a revealing anecdote about inflation hitting home. “I was sitting in my kitchen yesterday and there’s a sunroom off the kitchen. And my wife was there with her sister and a good friend named Mary Ann. And she was saying, ‘Do you realize it’s over $5 for a pound of hamburger? $5?’” Biden recounted, appearing surprised by the price.

The price of ground beef had risen from less than $4 before the pandemic to over $5, a more than 25% increase that families across the country had been experiencing for months.

”A Lot of Reason to Be Hopeful in 2020”

In the same remarks, Biden made a verbal stumble that drew attention. “There’s a lot of reason to be hopeful in 2020,” Biden said — accidentally referencing the wrong year while trying to express optimism about 2022.

No “Free Time or Any Time to Think”

When asked how Biden was spending a day with no public events, Psaki offered a revealing window into the president’s schedule. “I know the president doesn’t have public events today. He does have a number of meetings with policy teams, and that’s often what he’s doing behind the scenes,” Psaki said.

She added: “If he were standing here today, he would say, ‘We never give him any free time or any time to think,’ and that is probably true.”

Schools Spending Relief Funds on CRT

A reporter asked whether the White House was concerned that some schools had used American Rescue Plan funds for purposes other than reopening — including critical race theory programs — while students in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee were still not in classrooms.

Psaki refused to condemn the spending. “It’s always been the case that local school districts make decisions about what is needed for their schools. Different schools make different decisions,” she said. She pivoted to encouraging schools to spend funds on “mitigation measures.”

Testing Shortages Continue

Reporters pressed Psaki on the ongoing COVID testing shortage. The White House’s promised 500 million at-home tests were not yet available, the new insurance reimbursement system had not launched, and a previous partnership with Walmart and Kroger to sell discounted rapid tests had expired.

“This half a billion tests aren’t available yet. You can’t go on a website and sign up for them yet. You can’t receive them yet,” a reporter noted. “Why would the president not try to extend that agreement with Walmart to keep those tests a little bit less expensive?”

“I’m not going to detail private conversations,” Psaki replied, saying only that “next week people can get reimbursed for their tests.”

Bipartisanship “Worse Off”

When asked whether bipartisan relations were better or worse than a year ago, Psaki made no pretense of optimism. “What is most disappointing to him is that there has been a silence and at times a complacency by far too many Republicans who have sat by and defended the big lie and perpetuated misinformation to the American public,” she said.

Key Takeaways

A CNBC/Change Research poll showed independents gave Biden a “D” on economic issues; Psaki said Build Back Better would be “easier to sell once it’s passed.”
Biden appeared shocked to learn ground beef had surpassed $5 per pound, recounting his wife’s reaction at the kitchen table.
Biden said there was “a lot of reason to be hopeful in 2020” instead of 2022.
Psaki acknowledged Biden had no “free time or any time to think,” even on days with no public events.
Psaki refused to condemn schools spending American Rescue Plan funds on critical race theory instead of reopening classrooms.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

Pure independents, the group of voters that secured the election for President Biden, they give the president a D across the board on economic issues, and only 30% say that Build Back Better will grow the economy.
People like the components of the bill, but they don’t know exactly what’s in Build Back Better. It’s always easier to sell a package to the public once it’s passed.
There’s a lot of reason to be hopeful in 2020.
Do you realize it’s over $5 for a pound of hamburger? $5?
He would say, we never give him any free time or any time to think, and that is probably true.
It’s always been the case that local school districts make decisions about what is needed for their schools.

Full transcript: 974 words transcribed via Whisper AI.