Psaki resumes White House briefings after COVID diagnosis



White House press secretary Jen Psaki resumed her daily press briefings Friday, nearly two weeks after she was diagnosed with COVID-19, joking that one downside to returning was having to wear professional footwear.

 See Also: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki - Live Update

"It's great to be back with all of you," Psaki said, "although as a longtime hater of heels I do miss my slippers, which I'm sure some of the women in this room can agree with."

See Also:  Press Secretary Psaki tells  Mary Alice Parks  about Pres. Biden's trip to Capitol Hill today

It was her first appearance in the White House press briefing room since Oct. 27.

See Also: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Dana Bash  that US Covid-19 cases are headed in the "right direction," but the US should be careful not to prematurely declare victory.

Psaki had planned to accompany President Joe Biden to world leader summits in Rome and Glasgow, Scotland, but announced Oct. 28 as he was about to depart that she was skipping the trip after members of her household tested positive for COVID-19.

See Also: Rachel Maddow reviews the series of Donald Trump's embarrassing failures at creating his own internet properties in the wake of his excommunication from social media, and reports on the latest venture, replete with typical Trumpian gaffes but also set up as a vehicle for his supporters to give him money.

She announced three days later, on Halloween, that she ultimately had tested positive, too.

See Also: President Biden's agenda

Psaki, 42, observed a 10-day quarantine that ended Wednesday, when a negative test result cleared her return under White House COVID-19 protocols, she said. No briefing was scheduled Thursday because of the Veterans Day federal holiday.

See Also:  Obama: 'I understand' why Americans want to know when COVID-19 mandates will end

Her symptoms were mild, mostly fatigue, she said, giving credit to COVID-19 vaccines.

See Also:  Pelosi on filibuster carveout: Voting rights is 'fundamental'

"I remain incredibly grateful for the vaccine and the impact of the vaccine in keeping me safe and other people in my house safe as well," Psaki said.

See Also:  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that former Clinton and Obama economic official Larry Summers is wrong on his warnings about rising inflation.

Deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre traveled with Biden and conducted press briefings during Psaki's absence.

See Also:  CNN's Brian Stelter wants the media to ditch and remains of objectivity and just portray all conservatives as threats America itself.

Psaki also used her reappearance in the briefing room to segue into the latest steps by the administration to combat the coronavirus, including the authorization of vaccines for children ages 5-11 and millions of dollars in federal aid to help companies ramp up production of coronavirus tests that people can administer at home.

See Also:  DeSantis reveals how Florida is trying to recruit cops from other states whose jobs are threatened by vaccine mandates

"I know I ordered some from Walmart myself, they came the next day and I used them at home," Psaki said.

Comments

Rand Paul reportedly to vote against Trump declaring national emergency at border

Breaking! Rand Paul makes the DECIDING vote on Trump’s national emergency

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and other Republican lawmakers are breaking rank with their own party and supporting a resolution to overturn President Trump's national emergency declaration over border wall funding.

"I can't vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn't been appropriated by Congress," Paul said, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. "We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn't authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it's a dangerous thing."



BENEDICT ARNOLD!!!

Of course, this is all political and it’s ultimately meaningless because Trump will veto it, and the opponents of his national emergency don’t have enough votes to overcome it. Still, it will hurt him politically a little bit. Not much really. On the other hand, he really needs to expand his support beyond his base, or we’re gonna see a replay of the midterms… also, #MAGA!!!