White House reporter confesses they avoid challenging Jen Psaki

In a Friday article, Politico quoted an anonymous reporter who said the work is no longer about "saving democracy" from the White House press secretary.

“[White House Press Secretary] Jen [Psaki] is very good at her job, which is unfortunate,” the reporter said. “And the work is a lot less rewarding because you’re no longer saving democracy from [former White House press secretary] Sean Spicer and his Men’s Wearhouse suit. Jawing with Jen just makes you look like an asshole.”

The comments drew criticism online for the disparity in coverage between the two administrations. They also served as a small glimpse into the mindset of the journalists covering the White House. Politico’s source made it clear — scrutinizing the Biden and Trump administrations are being treated as two different jobs.

The article, titled “The Rise and Fall of the White House Reporter,” examines the history of Oval Office reporting, and how it could impact a journalist's career.

During the Obama and initial Trump years, a reporting position on the frontlines of government action could work wonders for a career, the article says. Such reporters could expect to find themselves on an upward trajectory.

But that peaked in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s final year in office. President Trump’s unpredictable style of communication and colorful comments would send news teams into full gear. But under Biden’s tenure in the most powerful office in the world, that hasn’t been the case. Biden’s team has made sure to keep the president’s media responses closely guarded and well-prepared.

“But attention isn’t his brand, the way it is with Trump, and his staff exerts far more control over his time and his media interactions, alongside their efforts to eliminate traces of palace intrigue from political coverage,” the article says. “The president does few interviews and his communications team has an informal policy of not engaging in gossip stories and chide reporters who they don’t think focus enough on policy.”

Another piece to the puzzle is Psaki’s demeanor, writes Politico.

“Psaki rarely expresses emotion from the podium, where she speaks slowly and avoids lengthy confrontations with reporters,” the article reads.

But Politico’s anonymous source suggests another reason — the reporters dislike the way they appear when they engage with the administration.