Reporters from mainstream news organizations pressed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday over remarks from President Joe Biden, who said earlier in the day that the U.S. Border Patrol agents who were seen on horseback approaching migrants illegally entering the U.S. “will pay.”
“The DHS Secretary several times said he didn’t want to impair the integrity of the investigation into the Border Patrol agents. He said, ‘I will not prejudge the facts,’” ABC News reporter Karen Travers said. “Did the president prejudge the facts when he said, ‘I promise you those people will pay’?”
“I think what you heard from the President is a very human and visceral response to those images, which I think reflects how a lot of people in the country felt when they saw them,” Psaki claimed. “There is an investigation the Department of Homeland Security is overseeing. That will determine what the personnel decisions may be, any other policy decisions, and that needs to see itself through.”
“I think the president wanted to make clear to people who watched those photos, who had understandably emotional responses, that that’s not acceptable to him, even while the investigation is being — is being — is happening and moving forward,” she continued. “That will determine what the consequences will look like.”
WATCH:
ABC’s @KarenTravers: Mayorkas “said he didn't want to impair the integrity of investigation to the…agents. He said, ‘I will not prejudge the facts.’ Did [Biden] prejudge the facts when he said ‘I promise you those people will pay?’”
Psaki insists Biden was just being human! pic.twitter.com/gR3apzMYDv
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 24, 2021
CBS News’ Steven Portnoy later followed up on Travers’ question, asking, “Is it your view or the White House’s position that what the president said this morning is not legally operative, with respect to consequences, and these people ‘paying’ was simply his personal view and not representative of actions that the government will take?”
“The president was not prejudging the outcome of an investigation either; the president was responding from his heart and responding to seeing horrific photos that we have seen over the last several days,” Psaki claimed.
“But he is the head of the executive branch; the Constitution vests him with the authority in Article Two,” Portnoy continued. “You’re saying that what he said will not necessarily be the outcome?”
“Again, there’s an investigation that’s ongoing,” Psaki continued. “I don’t know that anyone saw those photos and didn’t have a similar reaction to the president’s, and that was what it was a reflection of.”
CBS's @StevenPortnoy: "I'm sure that the union officials and lawyers who will be representing these agents are going to wanna know: Is it your view or the White House's position that what the President said this morning is not legally operative with respect to consequences[?]" pic.twitter.com/u2gaNSSjSI
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 24, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
KAREN TRAVERS, ABC NEWS: Thanks, Jen. Two questions. The DHS Secretary several times said he didn’t want to impair the integrity of the investigation into the Border Patrol agents. He said, “I will not prejudge the facts.” Did the president prejudge the facts when he said, “I promise you those people will pay”?
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think what you heard from the president is a very human and visceral response to those images, which I think reflects how a lot of people in the country felt when they saw them.
There is an investigation the Department of Homeland Security is overseeing. That will determine what the personnel decisions may be, any other policy decisions, and that needs to see itself through.
But I think the president wanted to make clear to people who watched those photos, who had understandably emotional responses, that that’s not acceptable to him, even while the investigation is being — is being — is happening and moving forward. That will determine what the consequences will look like.
…
STEVEN PORTNOY, CBS NEWS: Just to put a fine point on your answer to Karen’s question —
PSAKI: Sure.
PORTNOY: — because I’m sure that the union officials and lawyers who will be representing these agents are going to —
PSAKI: Yeah.
PORTNOY: — want to know: Is it your view or the White House’s position that what the president said this morning is not legally operative, with respect to consequences, and these people “paying” was simply his personal view and not representative of actions that the government will take?
PSAKI: The president was not prejudging the outcome of an investigation either; the president was responding from his heart and responding to seeing horrific photos that we have seen over the last several days.
PORTNOY: But he is the head of the executive branch; the Constitution vests him with the authority in Article Two. You’re saying that what he said will not necessarily be the outcome?
PSAKI: Again, there’s an investigation that’s ongoing. I don’t know that anyone saw those photos and didn’t have a similar reaction to the president’s, and that was what it was a reflection of.