MSNBC's Jen Psaki says Republicans giving 'green light' for violence
MSNBC's Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Republicans were giving a "green light" for violence by allegedly being "silent" about the attack on Paul Pelosi.
MSNBC host Jen Psaki accused Republicans of giving a "green light" for violence while discussing the attack on Paul Pelosi during an appearance on Tuesday's "Morning Joe."
"You obviously were very recently in a position to advise the president as to what his messaging should be. How does he talk about this? How does he talk about the violence in our political rhetoric? How does he talk about this attack, and how do you balance this big thought about this violence breaking down the fabric of our democracy with those kitchen table issues that voters say they care most about?" Politico's Jonathan Lemire asked.
Psaki said Biden should talk about both and emphasized that he was going to make the midterms about a choice.
"The threat against speaker Pelosi, what happened to her husband, this is completely sick. I think we all agree on that. But the problem here is that it’s not just that Republicans are making jokes, like Ted Cruz and Kari Lake, and that they’re also silent, it's that I don’t think Kari Lake and Ted Cruz are going to come to anyone’s home and threaten them. Their silence and jokes are giving people a green light out there, a lot of crazy people, people that are following conspiracy theories online," she said.
MSNBC host Jen Psaki said Republicans were giving the "green light" for violence by being "silent." (Screenshot/MSNBC/MorningJoe)
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"As it comes to the campaign trail and President Biden and what he’s going to be doing out there, I think, yes, he’s going to continue to make the contrast, as he’s expected to today on Social Security and Medicare, what Democrats are putting forward, what his plans will help do to protect that, but he also needs to address, and I expect he will, these types of threats and this type of silence, and what it does to allow conspiracy theories to move forward and give people license to act on them," she continued.
Psaki stepped down as White House Press Secretary in May and joined MSNBC as a host.
During an MSNBC appearance on Monday, Psaki told MSNBC's Steve Kornacki that Democrats couldn't have done much to "change" the reality of high inflation.
"There’s not a lot Democrats could have done to change that reality. What you are seeing people like Barack Obama and Joe Biden do is really try to make this about a choice and not a referendum on President Biden. You heard him say almost exactly that when he was answering questions over the weekend," Psaki said.
Jen Psaki, Former White House Press Secretary, appears on Meet the Press in Washington, D.C. Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images)
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Paul Pelosi was attacked in the couple's San Francisco home on Friday by alleged attacker David DePape. Police arrived at the house after Pelosi was able to call 911 from the bathroom.
The police arrived at the house as DePape and Pelosi were reportedly struggling over a hammer.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D) and husband Paul Pelosi. (Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images))
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DePape told investigators that he wanted to hold Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hostage and break "her kneecaps" if she was lying, according to the affidavit.
"DePape stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her," the affidavit said. "If Nancy were to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.’"
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