WATCH: Jen Psaki and CBS’ Nancy Cordes Have a Message For Republicans Calling on Biden to Resign Over Afghanistan
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reacted to the “swath” of GOP lawmakers calling for President Joe Biden’s resignation over the attacks in Afghanistan — with an assist from CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.
At Thursday’s White House daily briefing, the ongoing evacuation of Afghanistan, and the terrorist attacks that interrupted it Wednesday, were top of mind.
Cordes, for her part, wanted to know about the Republican senators an d House members who have been loudly demanding the president step down.
“I want to know if the White House has any reaction to the swath of Republican lawmakers who are now calling on the President to resign over this,” Cordes asked.
A somber Psaki replied “Well, Nancy, I have to say that seeing some of this occur, or be called for, or be put out on Twitter — you know, the backdrop here is the U.S. men and women of the military deployed on the ground are bravely continuing to implement a mission to save lives on the ground — American citizens, Afghan partners, many people that some of these same individuals are calling for us to evacuate.”
“Yesterday, they lost 13 of their own, and the President made absolutely clear that we are going to hunt down, go after, and kill the terrorists who are responsible. Everyone should be supportive of that,” Psaki added.
“So you’re saying now is not the time for politics?” Cordes asked.
“Correct,” Psaki replied.
Cordes’ addendum echoed Psaki’s reply a day earlier when she was asked about demands of resignation, in which she said “this is a day where U.S. servicemembers — 12 of them — lost their lives at the hands of terrorists. It’s not a day for politics, and we would expect that any American, whether they’re elected or not, would stand with us in our commitment to going after and fighting and killing those terrorists wherever they live, and to honoring the memory of servicemembers. And that’s what this day is for.”
That statement was a response to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Hawley said in a statement that “It is now painfully clear he has neither the will nor the capacity to lead. He must resign.”
Blackburn tweeted, within hours of the attacks, that “Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin and General Milley should all resign or face impeachment and removal from office.”
Watch above via The White House.
