Who is Philip Wegmann? Jen Psaki snaps at reporter for comparing MLB All-Star Game to Beijing Olympics
White House press secretary Jen Psaki snapped at a journalist during Friday's press conference after she was asked to comment on President Joe Biden's "contrary stances" of moving out MLB All-Star game from Georgia while participating in Beijing Winter Olympics set to take place in 2022. Amid Democratic opposition to the voting law passed in Georgia, which would allegedly disenfranchise Black voters, Biden said that the MLB All-Star game should be moved out from the state.
Real Clear News's Philip Wegmann asked Psaki why it was OK for Biden to call for removing the MLB game out of Georgia but letting US athletes participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022; responding, Psaki said the reporter was "not paying attention".
Weggman also asked when Biden will make a final call about America participating in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, especially in light of his opinion regarding the MLB All-Star game. Meaning, will Biden boycott the Olympics in China, considering how he has previously said that the Chinese President Xi Jinping "doesn’t have a Democratic bone in his body”.
Psaki started to explain regarding the US Olympics Committee and the huge role that it would play, but Wegmann interrupted to ask about Biden's comment regarding the MLB game; Psaki rethought her approach and told Weggman she had just addressed the topic a while ago and "maybe you were not paying attention."
This video uploaded by C-Span has gone viral with many noting how Psaki was clearly not happy with the turn of events.
She said, "He actually didn’t…I don’t know if you heard the answer to the other question that happened a few minutes ago where we addressed this, and I answered the question. But maybe you weren’t paying attention.”
On Friday, the MLB announced they will be moving the game out of Georgia, and many critics of Biden and his administration believe this was related to Georgia's new voting law. One fellow journalist shared the clip by C-Span and wrote, "@RealClearNews's @PhilipWegmann asks Jen Psaki if the Biden White House is so adamant about having MLB move its All-Star Game from Georgia because of the voting law, why aren't they calling for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?! Psaki did NOT like this question."
.@RealClearNews's @PhilipWegmann asks Jen Psaki if the Biden White House is so adamant about having MLB move its All-Star Game from Georgia because of the voting law, why aren't they calling for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?!
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 2, 2021
Psaki did NOT like this question. pic.twitter.com/1GbTxRsmhC
Another user added, "The people put pressure on MLB which resulted in them pulling the All-Star game from Georgia. And the location of the Olympics has nothing to do with that. No link here. Thinking people realize this."
The people put pressure on MLB which resulted in them pulling the All-Star game from Georgia. And the location of the Olympics has nothing to do with that. No link here. Thinking people realize this.
— kay (@kay26461540) April 2, 2021
However, there were many who defended Psaki. One user wrote, "Two totally different things. One involves moving a game to a different city and the other involves depriving 100s of athletes of the chance to compete in the Olympic games. Having said that, I do believe the Beijing olympics should be boycotted." Another agreed and wrote, "Beijing has nothing to do with our voting rights. Georgia has drastically limited the voting rights to their constituents who are US citizens."
two totally different things. One involves moving a game to a different city and the other involves depriving 100s of athletes of the chance to compete in the Olympic games. Having said that, I do believe the Beijing olympics should be boycotted.
— kat (@kathylandb2) April 2, 2021
Beijing has nothing to do with our voting rights. Georgia has drastically limited the voting rights to their constituents who are US citizens.
— Opal (@PamCamp60217334) April 2, 2021