Psaki Bashed Online as She Tries to Laugh Off Question About Night Flights Transporting Migrant Kids
14:27 GMT 20.10.2021 (Updated: 16:17 GMT 08.12.2022)
© AP Photo / Evan VucciWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, in Washington
© AP Photo / Evan Vucci
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Earlier this week, the New York Post reported that at least 2,000 migrant children and teens might have been taken to suburban New York since 8 August.
Netizens have trolled White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she appeared to have tried to make a joke when responding to a reporter's question on migrants.
The journalist said he wondered why the Biden administration is reportedly flying "thousands of migrants from the border" to Florida and suburban New York "in the middle of the night".
"Well, I'm not sure that it's in the middle of the night. We are talking about early flights. Earlier than you might like to take a flight", she said in response to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy's remark that the flights took place at "2:30 AM".
Users reacted angrily to Psaki's comment, with one netizen tweeting: "The sh*t that woman says. Who can possibly take her seriously?"
Doesn't this redheaded witch know right from wrong? 😫
— Cami DeCotis (@CamiDecotis) October 19, 2021
The shit that woman says. Who can possibly take her seriously
— Vicki (@vctucci) October 20, 2021
She is so cringe-worthy.
— Sickofit Ahll (@SickofitA) October 20, 2021
DOOCY: "Why is this administration flying thousands of migrants from the border to Florida and New York in the middle of the night?"
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) October 19, 2021
PSAKI: "Well, I'm not sure that it's in the middle of the night."
DOOCY: "2:30 AM, 4:29 AM?"
PSAKI: "We are talking about early flights." pic.twitter.com/WTYZ4KU16Z
Jen P We are not stupid pic.twitter.com/RGM1ibODJb
— lovemycoffee (@lovemycoffee2) October 19, 2021
ah....Psaki really is a disappointment..
— Zachary Philbeck (@PhilbeckZachary) October 20, 2021
The post was echoed by other sarcastic remarks about the White House press secretary being "so cringeworthy" and "really a disappointment".
The reaction follows the New York Post (NYP) referring to its analysis of online flight-tracking data, which suggested that around 2,000 unaccompanied migrant minors have arrived at the Westchester County Airport, 30 miles north of New York City, on 21 flights since 8 August.
The NYP also cited unnamed sources as saying the purportedly underage migrants were typically bussed to locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, upstate Newburgh, and Bridgeport as well as Danbury in Connecticut.
The newspaper's report comes amid an ongoing migration crisis in the US, with the latest figures from the country's Customs and Border Protection showing that at least 37,805 unaccompanied migrant children have already entered the US.