Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday over President Joe Biden’s false claim that Georgia’s new election law ends voting hours early.
Doocy noted to Psaki during the daily White House press briefing that Biden’s claim received “four pinocchios” from The Washington Post and asked if Biden, as a result, would “change the way he’s talking about” the law. (RELATED: ‘We Need To Be Precise In Our Criticism’: Joe Scarborough Refutes Claim That Georgia Election Law Is ‘Jim Crow 2.0’)
“Is the president going to change the way that he talks about the new Georgia voting law because … he said the law would end voting at 5:00 when working people are just getting off, and he said it would end voting hours early so working people can’t cast their vote after their shift is over,” Doocy began. “The Washington Post gave that claim four pinocchios because that part of the law gives counties the option to extend voting hours. So, I’m just curious if the president is going to change the way that he’s talking about this.”
Psaki responded by saying that Biden believes it should be made easier to vote. She went on, reading from her notes, stating what the bill does from the administration’s point of view. She said that the bill “makes it harder” to vote by absentee ballot, shortens the length of time early voting is allowed for a runoff election, and imposes “rigid” restrictions on the ability of local officials to set polling hours that fit the needs of the people in their jurisdictions.
“But the thing he said has been determined by election law experts to be not true, so I’m just curious if he’s going to stop saying it,” Doocy followed up.
Psaki avoided answering the question again, and instead concluded, “Well, again, I think we can — the fact checkers will also tell you that this bill does not make it easier for people across the state of Georgia to vote, and that’s where he has concern.”
The Washington Post awarded Biden four of its famous “pinocchios” for his claim concerning voting hours in the Georgia election law. The Post awards a “Pinocchio” — whose wooden nose grew longer with each lie — to political figures and others who make false claims, with four being the highest number for the most blatant of lies. Psaki was previously questioned on Biden’s “four pinocchios” Thursday, in which she also doubled down on Biden’s stance.