Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has finally apologized to the Gold Star families for her defense of President Joe Biden’s disrespectful watch-checking moment during a ceremony honoring the 13 soldiers killed in the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal of 2021. Psaki, now a host at MSNBC, faced criticism in May for falsely claiming in her book, “Say More,” that Biden only checked his watch after the ceremony. However, various fact checks from September proved her wrong, forcing her to retract her statement in later reprints, according to sources.
But it seems that Psaki couldn’t escape the wrath of the truth. During a recent House Foreign Affairs interview, Republican Florida Rep. Mike Waltz revealed that Psaki “agreed to apologize” to the 13 Gold Star families whom she contradicted in her book. Waltz further added that this is not a “partisan or gotcha moment,” but a step towards the right thing to do as fellow Americans. Let’s hope that Psaki follows through with her apology.
The Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul made sure to grill Psaki about her false remarks in “Say More” during the interview. He pressed her multiple times before she finally apologized, as per the Washington Examiner. In a statement to the outlet, Foreign Affairs Committee majority spokeswoman Leslie Shedd revealed that McCaul asked Psaki if she had anything she wanted to say to the families on the record. After being pressed several times, she eventually asked the chairman to pass along her apology and express her deep regret for causing pain to the families. McCaul has fulfilled the request and relayed her apology to the Gold Star families.
It’s about time that Psaki owned up to her mistakes and offered a sincere apology to the families who lost their loved ones due to Biden’s haphazard decision making. It’s not surprising that Biden’s administration is trying to sweep his watch-checking incident under the rug, just like how he tried to deny the deaths of our troops under his watch during a debate against 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on June 27. But the Gold Star families aren’t having any of it. They have called upon Biden to take responsibility for his actions and honor the fallen soldiers.
Just left the House Foreign Affairs interview with Jen Psaki.
She agreed to apologize to the 13 Afghanistan Gold Star families whom she falsely contradicted in her book when she said Biden didn’t look at his watch.
This isn’t a partisan or gotcha moment. This is the right…
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) July 26, 2024
We can only hope that this apology from Psaki is a step towards acknowledging the truth and holding the Biden administration accountable for their actions. No amount of apologies can bring back the lives lost due to their reckless decisions, but it’s a start. Let’s continue to support and stand with the Gold Star families, and demand the same from our leaders. It’s time for our country to heal and honor the sacrifices made by our brave soldiers.