A student took on “a bit of a Peter Doocy mode” when questioning former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about her comments on protests outside of Supreme Court justices’ homes.
During a forum at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, a student stepped up to the mic, saying, “My name is Daniel Schmidt. I’m a first-year here. Going to pull a bit of a Peter Doocy mode right here. So, here it goes.”
He continued, “A week ago after the Roe v. Wade protests were happening in front of the Supreme Court justices’ houses, you said, and I quote, ‘We certainly continue to encourage that people protest outside of judges’ homes…'”
Psaki interrupted, adding, “I never said that.”
Schmidt explained, “I’m quoting from…”
She responded, “I said peacefully.”
Schmidt replied, “Yeah, sure. Peacefully.”
Psaki continued, “That’s a key word in there.”
The student went on, “Peacefully. Regardless, they’re protesting because they’re trying to impact the results. It’s a federal crime to protest outside of justices’ homes to impact the results. So my question is, do you regret encouraging people to protest outside of justices’ homes? Even if it is peaceful, it still is a federal crime.”
The former White House press secretary told Schmidt, “Well, first, thank you for your question and bringing it forward. Let me first say, because I think facts matter and facts are important. I never encouraged anyone to protest. I encouraged them to do, engage peacefully, and to do it without violence, without threats, and without intimidation. And that’s something I said many, many times and I think is vitally important.”
Watch the exchange below:
'I Never Said That!' Jen Psaki Argues With Student Who Goes Into 'Peter Doocy Mode' To Ask About Abortion Protests https://t.co/AH1MdunjQP via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/03RNujRWji
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) May 19, 2022
She added, “It is also true that peacefully protesting in places where it is legal, and it is legal in many places in the country, including outside of some places in the country for sure, is something that is, that is allowed. And I’m not going to tell people, I don’t think it’s the role of the government to tell people where they can or cannot peacefully protest. If they’re breaking the law, of course, they shouldn’t do that. And I also said that, too.”
Psaki again said, “Thank you for your question!”
In a tweet earlier this month, Psaki responded to protests outside of the justices homes just after a leaked draft opinion was published showing the court would overturn Roe v. Wade, as IJR reported.
“[President Joe Biden] strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest,” Psaki said.
Still, she added, “But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety.”