White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was attacked on Tuesday by what one of the top Republican lawmakers called a “shameful comment” about the U.S. Space Force.
A journalist asked Psaki during her daily press session whether President Biden had decided the future of the new military branch, established by former President Donald Trump when he signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
Psaki appeared unprepared for the question and apparently responded by comparing it to reporters’ repeated inquiries last month about whether Biden planned to change Air Force One’s color scheme.
“Wow! Space Force – it’s today’s plane, “Psaki said.
“It’s an interesting question. I am delighted to consult with our Space Force contact point. I’m not sure who he is. I will find out and see if we have any updates. ”
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Wing), the top Republican Party member of the House Armed Services Committee, asked Psaki to “immediately apologize to the men and women of the Space Force for this embarrassing comment. “.
“It’s worrying to see the press secretary of the Biden administration blatantly diminish an entire branch of our army as the fist of a joke, which I’m sure China would find amusing,” Rogers told Politico.
“The Space Force passed with almost unanimous support in Congress, supposedly the same kind of unity” that President Biden is working on. “
U.S. Representative Michael Waltz (R-Florida), a founding member of the House Space Force Caucus, also blasted Psaki’s claims.
“This is just one more example from the Biden administration that did not take China seriously while underestimating the incredible work of Space Force personnel,” Waltz told Politico.
Psaki later, he tweeted, apparently in response to the uproar, “We look forward to the continued work of Space Force and invite team members to come and visit us in the information room at any time to share an update on their important work “.