MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski went after President Joe Biden’s administration Thursday over its use of the media to “sell” a positive image of the border crisis.
Brzezinski said during “Morning Joe” that the administration’s decision to allow media access to an “aspirational” border facility, rather than all of the facilities, raises questions such as “are reporters being used?” (RELATED: ‘Get Off Your Ass!’: Sen. Lindsey Graham Slams Biden’s ‘Sh*t Show At The Border’)
Brzezinski began the topic by playing a video clip of a Wednesday exchange between White House press secretary Jen Psaki and CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, in which Psaki was questioned over the administration’s decision to provide media access to an “aspirational” detention facility for migrant children, rather than a facility experiencing “overcrowding” and other problems.
“This is problematic. Look, I know Jen Psaki well, but reporters should be allowed into all the facilities,” Brzezinski said after playing the video clip. “And when you only allow reporters into the aspirational ones, it leads to more questions, like, are reporters being used to sort of sell the best part of this? We’ve got to see what’s going on, I mean, not Nike boxes of new shoes. So what am I missing here?”
Guest co-host and Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire responded that Brzezinski was “absolutely right.” He said that the access provided to the media was “a step in the right direction,” but wouldn’t silence questions concerning the reality of conditions at the border.
“The White House has said, look, we still need time to figure this out and we have concerns about privacy of the minors there, as well as, of course, safety conditions because of the pandemic. But this is a challenge … they own this now and they need to be able to sort that out,” he continued.
He went on to say that Biden is taking a step in the direction by placing Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of the administration’s border response. “This is sort of her first big item that gives off the message that the administration is taking this crisis seriously, but, also, of course, poses a lot of risk and a lot of responsibility on her shoulders,” he concluded.
The Biden administration had come under increasing pressure over what had been described as a media “gag order” at the border prior to allowing access to the selected facility on Wednesday. Earlier in March, the administration told the Daily Caller News Foundation that members of the media would not be allowed access because of the coronavirus pandemic. They announced the visit to the facility at the focus of Zeleny’s questions on Wednesday, with only one network camera being allowed in.