A WHITE House press secretary has won praise after shutting down a male reporter who asked questions about Joe Biden’s support for abortion rights.
Speaking at the White House’s daily press briefing on Thursday Owen Jones, a reporter at the Catholic news network EWTN, asked Jen Psaki why Catholic Joe Biden supported abortion rights while the church does not.
He asked: “Why does the president support abortion when his own Catholic faith teaches abortion as morally wrong?”
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Psaki then responded: “He believes that it’s a woman’s right. It’s a woman’s body, and it’s her choice.”
But Jones went further, asking: “Who does he believe, then, should look out for the unborn child?”
Psaki replied: “He believes that it is up to a woman to make those decisions, and up to a woman to make those decisions with her doctor.
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— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) September 3, 2021
“I know you have never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant, but for women out there who have faced those choices, this is an incredibly difficult thing.
“The president believes their right should be respected.”
Jones attempted to ask more questions but Psaki shut him down, saying: “You’ve had plenty of time today.”
One user on Twitter said: "Raise your hand if you appreciate Jen Psaki" while another said: "Press Secretary Jen Psaki is a next-level badass. This is how you handle scandal grabbing male reporters. I’ve watched this 10 times so far."
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It comes amid strict abortion laws in Texas which means individuals now have the right to sue anyone involved in providing or facilitating an abortion past six weeks of pregnancy.
Biden vowed a "whole-of-government" response to the law after the Supreme Court refused to block the law following a 5-4 vote.
The change has been denounced by women’s rights groups with Whole Woman’s Health calling it “truly devastating”.
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