White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is brushing off Russia’s decision to sanction President Joe Biden and other administration officials.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Psaki addressed the sanctions as she said, “I would first note that President Biden is a junior. So they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace.”
“The second piece, I would say is that — it won’t surprise any of you — none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia, none of us have bank accounts that we won’t be able to access. So we will forge ahead,” she added.
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As the White House’s website reflects, Biden shares the same name as his father, and he has kept the Jr. suffix.
Psaki’s comments come after Russia announced that it is leveling sanctions against the president, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director William Burns, Psaki, and other administration officials.
A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry announcing the sanctions names the president as Joseph Robinette Biden, without the Jr. However, it lists Austin as Lloyd James Austin III.
Russia also hit former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president’s son Hunter Biden with sanctions.
The sanctions would freeze any assets held in Russia by those targeted and restrict their travel.
That comes after the U.S. sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.