On MSNBC, Jen Psaki discussed why the Biden White House is playing it by the book on the classified documents they turned over to the National Archives.
Video:
Psaki said on Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace:
I think what they’re strategically doing, and this is what someone told me there today is being very by the book in every aspect of this, and now this is being reviewed by the Justice Department. Therefore it is in the hands of the Justice Department to provide any additional details. We know the Justice Department does not do such things when a review is ongoing.
There’s an aspect of that that is both convenient in that there’s not more details that can be shared and inconvenient because clarifying details are not available to them. They are strategically and purposefully trying to do every aspect by the book because that, in the end, may help them in the long-term even if it’s unpleasant right now.
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The strategy is that the White House knows that they make take a little short term hit in the news cycle, but by doing things the right way, they will gain credibility and the story will fade away.
Nothing suffocates a media story more than boring facts that don’t feed a scandal.
One of the many ways that Trump failed as president was that he thought he had to win every second of the media cycle. By compulsively lying non-stop, he fed and created scandals that didn’t go away for days, weeks, or months at a time.
The Biden White House knows that the finding that he did nothing wrong will have more credibility if they follow the law. Politically, it also creates a great contrast with Trump and reminds voters of why they elected Biden in the first place.
It is a smart strategy that deals with a bit of negative coverage today in exchange for victory down the road.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
