White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is being asked to provide “tips” so reporters can know if President Joe Biden is expressing a change in U.S. policy — or just sharing his reaction to something.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, a reporter asked, “Can you tell us when should we interpret [Biden’s] words as his reaction versus U.S. policy?”
“He’s the President of the United States. He speaks for the United States,” Psaki responded.
However, the reporter pressed, “Are there any tips that you could provide? Or any sort of giveaways that this is the president talking about what he’s seeing and his reaction as a human versus, you know, the United State government is now going to do XYZ?”
Psaki said, “He is the president. He speaks for what our policy is. And I would take his words for exactly what they are.”
Watch the video below:
REPORTER: "Can you tell us when should we interpret [Biden's] words as his reaction versus U.S. policy?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 13, 2022
PSAKI: "He is the President of United States. He speaks for the United States…I would take his words for exactly what they are." pic.twitter.com/ZVYzAKF3w6
The exchange comes after Biden accused Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine, as IJR reported.
“I called it genocide because it has become clear that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be a Ukrainian,” he told reporters.
The president continued, “More evidence is coming out of the literally horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine.”
However, Biden said, “We’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me.”
Ukrainian officials claim they have uncovered mass graves of civilians in villages near Kyiv that Ukrainian forces regained control of.
Still, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told CNN on Wednesday that Biden “spoke from his heart” when he said Russia was committing genocide.
"President Biden spoke from his heart when he called what we are seeing in Ukraine genocide by the Russian Federation and its forces," Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland says on CNN
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) April 13, 2022
That comes after Biden appeared to call for regime change in Russia late last month.
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said in Poland on Mar. 26.
A White House official later clarified, “The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”
The president later addressed his comments and insisted they were a reflection of “moral outrage” and his “personal feeling,” not a change in U.S. policy.