White House press secretary Jen Psaki roasts former president Donald Trump for the time he spent “obsessing over social media” at 8 July 2021 press conference. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has epically burned former president Donald Trump over his troubling ‘obsession’ with social media.
During a press conference Thursday (8 July), a reporter questioned Psaki if current president Joe Biden stands by the comments he made in 2020 about the need to revoke section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The law protects internet companies for content posted on their platforms, but the loophole has been a hot button issue for politicians across the US.
The reporter referenced Trump‘s recent lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter and Google. The lawsuit targets the companies CEOs, and Trump alleges he is the victim of censorship, according to the BBC.
Jen Psaki responded that she had not yet spoken with Biden about section 230, but she recalled the comments he made in the January 2020 New York Times article. She told the reporter that she was “happy to venture” to speak to the sitting president about the legal loophole.
Psaki then gave a perfect parting shot at Trump before closing the press conference.
“I will say that, as it relates to these lawsuits, it’s certainly a decision for the platforms to make,” Jen Psaki said. “I think it’s safe to say that the president spends a lot less time obsessing over social media than the former president.”
Psaki: I think it’s safe to say that the President spends a lot less time obsessing over social media than the former President pic.twitter.com/ccjLdQ9vBA
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 8, 2021
Trump spent a lot of time on social media, espousing his opinions and even announcing policies. Of his more infamous social media moments, Trump announced his hateful ban preventing transgender people from serving openly in the military via a tweet in 2017 without any consultation with military leaders.
Biden overturned this ban in January, welcoming LGBT+ to serve openly in the armed forces.
Needless to say, the internet loved the subtle shade Jen Psaki threw at the former president.
My teenage daughter spends a lot less time obsessing over social media than the former president.
— J Hernandez (@thisdudejaime) July 8, 2021
Love that she ended the briefing with a bang! 💣💥
— Sanvers🏳️🌈💜🇩🇪💜🇺🇲💜 (@Capt_ChrisPike) July 8, 2021
…and I genuinely enjoyed hearing it.
— Bocephus Moonshine (@RevMoonshine) July 8, 2021
This is some total eclipse level Psaki shade. https://t.co/ZdMHhKEiUx
— Hold My PomPoms Bitches (@Scattered211) July 8, 2021
In 2020 The New York Times interview, Biden called for section 230 to be “revoked, immediately”. He added the loophole can be used to propagate “falsehoods” on social media which the platforms “know to be false”.
“It should be revoked because it is not merely an internet company,” Biden said. “It is propagating falsehoods they know to be false, and we should be setting standards, not unlike the Europeans are doing relative to privacy.”