{"id":45215,"date":"2026-08-14T21:39:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45215"},"modified":"2026-08-14T21:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:39:41","slug":"psaki-claims-leavitt-avoided-tough-questions-in-briefing-room-in-ms-now-diatribe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45215","title":{"rendered":"Psaki claims Leavitt avoided tough questions in briefing room in MS NOW diatribe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki scathingly attacked her Trump counterpart <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593587\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/karoline-leavitt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Karoline Leavitt<\/a> on Thursday, claiming she faced hardly any tough questions in the briefing room and had no interest in engaging in good faith discussions.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">&#8220;The relationship between the press and the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593588\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/executive\/white-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">White House<\/a> is supposed to be adversarial by design,&#8221; Psaki said on MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593589\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/jen-psaki-officially-joins-msnbc-streaming-election-coverage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">where she was hired<\/a> after her performance on then-President Biden&#8217;s behalf from 2021 to 2022. &#8220;I mean, the press in the room are supposed to push for more access, for more information. And there are times when it&#8217;s absolutely appropriate for the press secretary to push back. But Karoline Leavitt didn&#8217;t want to engage in good faith with those reporters and their tough questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;And so instead, she did everything she could to reshape that briefing room into her own personal safe space where she rarely had to answer a tough question, hardly ever. I mean, she only briefed once or twice a week, max.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">President <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593590\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> announced this week that Leavitt would be exiting her role as press secretary to prioritize her family. The youngest person to hold the role in history, Leavitt has held the role since Trump took office again last year, and her replacement has not been named.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593591\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/scramble-karoline-leavitt-replacement-weeks-trump-spokesperson-exits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>SCRAMBLE FOR KAROLINE LEAVITT&#8217;S REPLACEMENT ENSUES WITH JUST WEEKS UNTIL TRUMP&#8217;S SPOKESPERSON EXITS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/kaorline-leavitt-briefing-july-23-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Karoline Leavitt at press room podium in White House\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 23, 2026.<\/span> <span>(Saul Loeb \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593592\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6385059359112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psaki took aim<\/a> at Leavitt&#8217;s &#8220;new media&#8221; push and called it a way for Leavitt to pack the room with MAGA sycophants and friendly podcasters. <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593593\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/new-media-seat-white-house-press-briefings-shakes-up-establishment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News Digital previously reported<\/a> the new media seat had received criticism, largely from legacy outlets, and some of the occupants were called out for asking softball questions at briefings or praising Leavitt and the president.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The White House hit back at Psaki, as spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital in a statement, &#8220;Jen &#8216;Circle Back&#8217; Psaki couldn&#8217;t hold a candle to Karoline Leavitt.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Psaki said Leavitt&#8217;s tenure had consequences beyond &#8220;just irritating the actual reporters in the room.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;That room is supposed to be where the American people get answers about what their government is doing. And when an administration doesn&#8217;t take that responsibility seriously, the American people are the ones who pay the price,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Psaki served as Biden&#8217;s press secretary from his inauguration in 2021 until May 2022. She was succeeded by Karine Jean-Pierre, who served the rest of Biden&#8217;s term.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593594\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/white-house-correspondents-praise-karoline-leavitt-announces-exit-trump-administration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS WIDELY PRAISE KAROLINE LEAVITT AS SHE ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Psaki accused Leavitt of lying repeatedly in her role and said she only served one man: Trump.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/343\/192\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/686\/384\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/672\/378\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1344\/756\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/931\/523\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1862\/1046\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/720\/405\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1440\/810\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1200\/675\/jen-psaki-msnbc-trump-health.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"MSNBC host Jen Psaki\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Jen Psaki speaks onstage at 92 NY on May 8, 2024, in New York City.<\/span> <span>(Dia Dipasupil\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It&#8217;s been about telling the version of the truth according to the serial liar who sits in the Oval Office. Reporters in the room don&#8217;t matter. The American people who rely on the reporting from the reporters in the room [don&#8217;t] matter, she&#8217;s never seen her job as working for the American people as a public servant,&#8221; Psaki said, adding she had damaged the job.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593595\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/white-house-correspondents-praise-karoline-leavitt-announces-exit-trump-administration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Several White House correspondents<\/a> praised Leavitt upon her exit announcement, Fox News Digital reported this week.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">A White House reporter told Fox News Digital Leavitt was easier to work with than her Biden administration predecessors.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593596\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/white-house-plans-guest-hosts-press-briefings-karoline-leavitt-takes-maternity-leave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>WHITE HOUSE PLANS GUEST HOSTS FOR PRESS BRIEFINGS WHILE KAROLINE LEAVITT TAKES MATERNITY LEAVE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Karoline was the best press secretary I\u2019ve ever worked with, and there have been many,&#8221; the veteran reporter said. &#8220;I think the reason she\u2019s so effective is because she spent real time with Trump, as well as time understanding his policies and reasoning behind them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Psaki and Leavitt\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Jen Psaki took aim at outgoing Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt during her show on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.<\/span> <span>(Nicholas Kamm\/AFP via Getty Images; Saul Loeb \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_media_article_main-content_article-body_6_6593597\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;[Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre], as a counter example, didn\u2019t do either,&#8221; the reporter continued. &#8220;And while you could say [Jen] Psaki was a policy wonk, her flaw was that she looked at the press with disdain. They were arrogant, whereas Karoline understood how to work with us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><i>Fox News&#8217; Brian Flood and Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki scathingly attacked her Trump counterpart Karoline Leavitt on Thursday, claiming she faced hardly any tough questions in the briefing room and had no interest in engaging in good faith discussions. &#8220;The relationship between the press and the White House is supposed&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PSAKI-LEAVITT-BREIFINGROOM.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}