White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday defended President Joe Biden's statements on the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade – and said the White House doesn't have a 'particular view' on the leak itself.
Since Politico reported on the leaked draft Monday night, Biden has focused his public remarks on privacy rights, the risks that gay marriage and other rights could be in jeopardy, and even his own clashes with Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork decades ago.
In his initial comments while traveling to Alabama Tuesday, Biden also used the word 'child' while describing abortion rights.
'So I mean, the idea that we’re going to make a judgment that is going to say that no one can make the judgment to choose to abort a child, based on a decision by the Supreme Court, I think goes way overboard,' Biden said.
Psaki got asked about the comment Wednesday, which ran against the typical word selection of pro choice advocates.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended President Joe Biden's comments since the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade
'The President's view on a woman's right to make choices about her own health care is well known, well documented, well stated,' said Psaki. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy pressed her, emphasizing Biden's use of the word 'child.'
'I understand Peter. But what I'm telling you is is what his position is,' she responded.
She also got asked why Biden 'isn't he speaking more directly about how it impacts women, poor women, women of color. How comfortable is he talking about this?'
'He has. He did yesterday both in his written statement and when he addressed this publicly.'
'This brings into question our fundamental rights and the fundamental rights of people across this country, and who they marry, what choices they make about their own healthcare. And that goes to his own experience fighting against, again, Robert Bork in in his nomination many years ago,' she said.
'When he talks about ... his commitment to protecting a woman's right to choose women's health care, he's referring to protecting woman's right to have an abortion. I think most people know that,' she said.
'This is about a lot more than abortion,' Biden said Wednesday
'The idea that we’re going to make a judgment that is going to say that no one can make the judgment to choose to abort a child, based on a decision by the Supreme Court, I think goes way overboard,' Biden said Tuesday
'I'm just not going to get into specific outcomes of the primary,' Psaki said, asked about Trump-backed J.D. Vance's win in the Ohio GOP primary
