White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was grilled during Wednesday’s press conference about the sexual allegations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and whether President Joe Biden should face an independent investigation since Biden has also been accused of sexual misconduct.
“In a follow up to the report on Governor Cuomo’s sexual harassment, a lot of men in politics have been accused of sexual harassment,” the reporter said. “President Biden was accused by female Secret Service agents of skinny dipping in front of them, offending them, according to another Washington Post reporter Ronald Kessler who is an author as well. His former Senate aide Tara Reade accused him of sexual assault. The Washington Post and The New York Times published multiple accounts of women who objected to the way President Biden touched them.”
“Should there be an independent investigation of allegations into the president as there was into Governor Cuomo?” the reporter asked.
“Well, first I would say the president has been clear and outspoken about the importance of women being respected and having their voices heard and being allowed to tell their stories and people treating them with respect. That has long been his policy continues to be his policy,” Psaki said. “That was heavily litigated during the campaign. I understand you’re eager to come back to it. But I don’t have anything further other than to repeat that he has called for the governor to resign.”
Asked by @NYPost's @StevenNelson10 if there should be an independent investigation of President Biden for his treatment of women, Jen Psaki says he's "been clear and outspoken about the importance of women" and claims against him were "heavily litigated during the campaign." pic.twitter.com/zyD7s9YVNa
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 4, 2021
Psaki was also asked during the press conference whether the Biden administration planned to strip Cuomo of his leadership position on the biweekly pandemic calls that the nation’s governors participate in.
“I’m not sure when the next one is scheduled. But again, I would convey that our objective is not to hurt the people of New York in the fight against COVID,” Psaki said. “If he is no longer the governor of New York, which is certainly what the President made clear of is his preference, then we will engage with other people. But we are not going to take steps to hurt the people of New York and the fight against COVID.”
WATCH:
Jen Psaki says Andrew Cuomo will not be stripped of leadership on COVID calls despite New York attorney general’s sexual harassment report. pic.twitter.com/KZV1YwMEqU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 4, 2021
Psaki was also asked if the situation involving Cuomo was “potentially such a stain on the party,” why is Biden not picking up the phone and asking him to resign.
“I think the President was pretty clear publicly,” Psaki said. “He asked him to resign yesterday.”
Psaki said that there were no plans for Biden to call Cuomo that she could preview.
WATCH: Press Secretary Jen Psaki says Biden has “no plans” to call Andrew Cuomo to pressure him to resign. pic.twitter.com/InBflkVQL8
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 4, 2021