On Wednesday, members of the White House press corps repeatedly asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to define what President Biden meant when they said that the “vast majority” of law enforcement officers are “decent, honorable people.”
The first reporter who brought up the topic was Kristen Fisher from Fox News, where she asked Psaki about what the President meant specifically when he stated “vast majority.”
Psaki simply replied with, “that’s exactly what he meant,” and then moved on to the next question.
Last Tuesday, President Biden said that the “vast, vast majority” of FBI agents and other military and civilian law enforcement are “decent, honorable people.”
Biden’s comment was made in expression of his condolences to the families of two FBI agents who were killed in Florida last Tuesday while they are trying to serve a warrant in connection with a violent crime against children.
President Biden can't even mourn the killing of FBI officers without echoing the "Defund the Police" extremists in his party. Judy and I are praying for the families of the fallen officers and all those in law enforcement who protect us every day. https://t.co/1cA6t8gCdo
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 4, 2021
Later on, NBC News reporter Kristen Walker then brought up the comments that Biden made asking why the President felt it necessary to point out that “most law enforcement are good people.
The question posed by Welker pushed Psaki to have a more thorough response. The White House Press Secretary said, “because I think he believes that the men and women who have been serving our country in a variety of capacities have been criticized. Some have been threatened. The roles they’re playing have been questioned over the last several years, and he wanted to reiterate his support for the important work they do. It’s also why he’s visiting the State Department tomorrow.”
Welker then responded by making sure that when Biden said “vast majority,” he did not mean all law enforcement.
The White House press secretary then added, “It think the point he’s making is that despite the reports of individuals in different areas who may have done things that are problematic, that the vast majority of men and women serving in our law enforcement roles, serving in civil service roles, serving in roles across government, do vital and essential work for the American people.”
When Biden brought reporters to watch him sign three immigration-related executive orders at the Oval office last Tuesday, he made remarks about the incident in Florida last Tuesday.
President Biden comments on FBI agents killed in Florida: "I can only imagine how these families are feeling today."
Full video here: https://t.co/rydTyvl8Z5 pic.twitter.com/Lyz24EJVaL
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 2, 2021
Biden said, “I was briefed on this tragedy earlier today, and I know the FBI is gathering information about how this happened, what happened. But I – I can only imagine how these families are feeling today.”
He continued and said, “you know, one of the things, when you are in a combat zone of the military, or you’re an FBI agent, or military or a police officer, every family just — when they put that shield on and go out in the morning — dreads the possibility of a call — receiving that phone call. And my heart aches for the families. I’ve not had an opportunity, nor will I try today, to contact them.”
The President also added, “But they put their lives on the line, and it’s a hell of a price to pay. And every single day, every single one of these folks gets up, and they — by and large, the vast, vast majority of these men and women are decent, honorable people who put themselves on the line, and we owe them.“
Asked what President Biden meant when he said of FBI agents that 'by and large the vast vast majority of these people are decent and honorable people' Jen Psaki says 'That is exactly what he meant'. So that's clear then
— David Charter (@DavidCharter) February 3, 2021
In the comments that the President made, the Democrats tried to indicate that they were anti-racist comments. Yet, he is still supportive of police, emphasizing that a majority of them are “decent, honorable people.”
However, after making those comments, Biden got slammed for making distinction when talking about dead law enforcement officers.
Meanwhile, Trump’s former White House press secretary Sean Spicer took note of Biden’s comments during his show in Newsmax on Wednesday night, stating, “deserved more blowback than it got” because those comments were badly timed.
