After the escalation of the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine began, wits came up with the term “1 Psaki” on the Internet, proposing to call the “stupidity and incompetence rating” scale that way.
The term is derived from the surname of Jen Psaki, a former press attache for two of Barack Obama's election campaigns, now an official representative of the State Department. Indeed, on the Internet, the red-haired Psaki has become a household name, a “star” among users in the “comments” section. No spoken word artist dreams of being as quotable as Jen Psaki, who appears on newscasts and appears at briefings in flashy clothes and big beads.
The story of how Psaki met her future husband is indicative. He called the Democratic Party press office to find out how to get to the event. Psaki sent him the other way. Then in an interview I admitted: I have poor orientation. But for some reason she advised: “I think you need to turn left.” As a result, he became even more lost.
The representative of the State Department gained worldwide fame after the story with Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who in telephone conversation with Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, discussing options for the configuration of the future Ukrainian government, she spoke obscenely at the European Union.
This is what Psaki said:
You all know Victoria well and are probably aware that when she was 23 years old, she lived on board a Russian ship for 8 months and may have learned certain vocabulary there.
So they taught her to swear? - The journalists didn’t believe it. - Do you mean that she is prejudiced against Russia?
No, I'm guessing that she might have learned some Russian profanity on board that fishing boat.
But she swore in English!
Okay, I was joking,” Psaki snapped and laughed at her own joke alone.
The recent Su-24 airstrike on the Lugansk city administration building, which killed 8 civilians, was called by some Ukrainian officials a TNT explosion in the building itself, while others called it the negligence of the militia, whose missile was allegedly forced to change course by an overheated air conditioner. When hardened cynics, whose hands exterminate the civilian population, talk about this, it is at least understandable. But when all the blame for what is happening in Ukraine from the lips of a representative of the US diplomatic department is placed on the militias or on Russia, the question arises: what then is reported to the US leadership?
This is what Psaki said:
We want Ukraine to have access to additional gas volumes if they are needed. As you all know, natural gas is transported through a gas pipeline from Western Europe through Ukraine to Russia.
In the United States, freedom of speech is declared sacred. Media correspondents, not only American, but also from other countries who were captured, are “rescued by all of America,” including the valiant State Department. But where was Psaki when LifeNews journalists were imprisoned by the Kyiv secret services? While they were sitting in the pit, the “mouthpiece” of the State Department did not notice this. As well as the fact that the punitive operation in the southeast began immediately after the blitz visit of the head of the CIA to Kyiv and the instructions he gave to the “representatives of the Kyiv authorities” who took the cake.
This is what Psaki said:
Both times, Ukrainian authorities sent troops to eastern Ukraine immediately after a visit to Kyiv by senior US officials. The first time it was John Brennan, and then it was Vice President Joe Biden. Did he advise you to act this way, or is it a coincidence? - a question came from the audience.
I think you are simply repeating the words of Foreign Minister Lavrov.
But what is your answer?
Next question.
For the time being, journalists were perplexed where the State Department representative got his information from. Then it turned out: from various kinds of rumors or “reports from Kyiv.” An example of this is photographs of a bearded man in camouflage taken from the Internet, which Washington called evidence of the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
This is what Psaki said:
How sure are you that there are people in these photographs who are related to Russia?
These photographs circulated throughout the world's media. They were on Twitter and they are publicly available. In the photographs we see that these people, judging by external signs, are clearly related to Russia.
Is this what you call proof?
But you don't want to say that the US government with all its intelligence is now dependent on photographs that are posted on the Internet?
These pictures are from open sources. Draw your own conclusions.
After this answer, the Americans themselves laughed at the State Department. “What, seriously? This is your proof - a fat man with a beard? Yes, everyone in Eastern Europe is like that!” - humorous shows picked up the theme.
Psaki’s dialogues with Associated Press correspondent Matthew Lee, which have now become a hit on television news stories, are a different story altogether. It all started with a commentary by a bachelor of philosophy on the results of referendums in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions.
This is what Psaki said:
We do not recognize the results of the referendum that took place in Donetsk and Lugansk. There have been reports of election carousels, pre-filled ballots, children voting and absentee voting...
Forgive my ignorance, but what is an “election carousel”? - asked Matthew Lee.
I must admit that I am just reading this text. I don't know what it is myself. I will check with my colleagues what is at stake.
“I think not, Matt,” Psaki replied with a charming smile that any blonde would envy.
As the “dialogues with Lee developed,” the official representative of the State Department began to reveal even more “pearls,” providing topics for the fantasies of the satirist Mikhail Zadornov, who, don’t feed him bread, let him show off his “stupid Americans.”
This is what Psaki said:
The Russians say they want to get money for the gas they have already supplied to Ukraine. You agree that this is the basis of normal commodity-money relations? - asked the same Matthew Lee.
I understand what they are saying. But if you consider the agreements that were concluded between countries in the past, and what is happening now, it is clear that this is no longer just a business dispute.
But do you still agree that Russians have the right to demand money for goods sold?
Matt, I'll be happy to look into this matter when I get back to my office.
This is how official Washington “writes” today’s assessment of events in Ukraine. The history of "pearls" from Psaki. This just doesn't make it funny. Because the punitive forces, knowing that the State Department, which today employs such young personnel with professional training “below the plinth”, will protect and approve, continue to kill civilians.
From the RG dossier
Jennifer Psaki was born in Connecticut in 1978 in the family of a construction worker and a psychotherapist. She graduated from the private College of William and Mary, the oldest in the United States after Harvard. Bachelor of Philosophy, captain of the student swimming team. In 2001 she joined the US Democratic Party. During John Kerry's presidential election campaign, she coordinated work with the media. But in the end she made a career in Barack Obama’s press service. She joined the State Department in February 2013. Married.
By the way
A whole series of jokes from the “As Psaki Said” series is already being collected on the Internet. One of them: “If Belarus invades Ukraine, the US 6th Fleet will be immediately deployed to the shores of Belarus,” Psaki said. The fact that Belarus has no coasts does not bother the State Department and its official representative at all.
Jen Psaki
The name Jen Psaki became widely known to the public after a number of statements on the situation in Ukraine belonging to or attributed to an official representative of the State Department. she even became the hero of one of the stories in Dmitry Kiselev’s program on the Russia-1 channel. Kiselyov said that because of the many inconsistencies in her statements, Russian bloggers coined the term “Psaking.” According to the presenter, this is what they say when “a person makes categorical statements, confuses the facts and does without subsequent apologies.”
Jennifer Renee Psaki was born in 1978 in Stamford, Connecticut. Her father is from Greece, and her mother is of Polish descent.
In 2000, Psaki graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia.
In 2001, she began her political career by participating in the election campaign of Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack, candidates for the Democratic Party in Iowa.
In 2004, Psaki became deputy press secretary for John Kerry's election campaign.
In 2005–2006, Psaki served as communications director for Rep. Joseph Crowley and as a field spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign.
In 2008, Jen Psaki was Barack Obama's press secretary during the presidential election campaign. After his election victory, she followed him to The White house as press secretary.
In 2011, Psaki left her post to become director of public affairs for Global Strategy Group in Washington, which develops political campaign strategy for Democratic candidates.
In 2012, Psaki returned to serve as Barack Obama's press secretary during the presidential campaign.
From 2013 to the present, he has been an official representative of the US State Department.
Jen Psaki's scandalous statements
Here are some of Jen Psaki's most widely shared remarks:
“Carousels” at the referendum in Donetsk and Lugansk
At the press conference, Psaki read to reporters the official position of the State Department regarding the referendum in Donetsk and Lugansk, which decided the issue of the regions secession from Ukraine. She spoke about voting irregularities, mentioning "carousels" (a type of election fraud in which groups of voters travel from one polling station to another to vote multiple times). At the same time, she was unable to correctly answer the journalist’s clarifying question about what “carousels” are. As Psaki explained, she did not have time to fully familiarize herself with the report. “You know, I was actually just reading and I’m not very familiar with this term myself. But I will check with the experts what this means,” Psaki replied.
Ukrainian tourists in the mountains of Rostov
Answering a question from journalist Matt Lee, Psaki said: “There are no refugees from Ukraine in Russia... Everything is calm in Ukraine and under our control.” When asked who the women and children who are arriving in large numbers are, Russian regions, Psaki said that these were tourists who came to relax in the Rostov mountains.
Later, Psaki herself called the words attributed to her about refugees a lie and a provocation. A similar quote could not be found in the transcripts of daily press briefings on the State Department website. Finally, journalist Matt Lee himself said on Twitter that he never asked Psaki about refugees in Rostov.
Subsequently, Psaki acknowledged the fact of the presence of refugees in Russia, while stating that their number may be exaggerated.
About the gas pipeline from Europe to Russia
Answering the question about possible problems with the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine, Psaki misspoke and said that gas comes from Europe through Ukraine to Russia (and not vice versa). And although she immediately corrected herself, her mistake was circulated in the media as evidence of incompetence.
Appearing at a briefing wearing only one boot
On July 30, a number of Russians reported that Jen Psaki spoke to the public wearing only one boot. However, not all publications considered it necessary to explain that Psaki was wearing a special medical boot due to a leg injury.
Fun sayings from Jen Psaki - Video
American beauty - the most quoted and discussed of the inhabitants of Capitol Hill was Jennifer Psaki, the official representative of the State Department.
And the reason for this is that outfits are not changed often, intense work. And statements to the press, each of which creates such a sensation that Psaki’s name has already become a household name.
Having noted at the post with the words that Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland swears because she was spoiled in her youth by Russian sailors, now the press secretary is gathering halls, her briefings are being parsed into quotes in the style of “I don’t know anything, I don’t understand anything, but in It's all Russia's fault."
There are already a series of jokes on the Internet “As stated by Psaki,” such as: if Belarus invades Ukraine, the US 6th Fleet will be immediately transferred to the shores of Belarus. The fact that Belarus has no coasts does not bother the State Department, Psaki said.
Why now has the State Department decided to allow Psaki to serve as an official, explaining to the whole world what they want in Washington?
Two flags, two monitors and a pulpit on a barely visible stage. In a small room, as a rule, there are no more than a couple of dozen people, but any spoken word artist dreams of such a hall. The word spoken here spreads throughout the world. And this word of US foreign policy is carried by the official representative of the State Department, Jen Psaki.
Jennifer Renee Psaki was born in Connecticut in 1978 in the family of a construction worker and a psychotherapist. She graduated from the private College of William and Mary, the oldest university in the United States after Harvard. Psaki is a Bachelor of Philosophy student and captain of the varsity backstroke team. In 2001 she joined the US Democratic Party. During John Kerry's presidential election campaign, she coordinated work with the media, but ultimately made a career in Barack Obama's press service. In February 2013, she moved to the US State Department. Married.
The State Department holds press conferences every day, touching on even issues that do not seem to concern the United States. Here, for example, is a list of topics that Jen Psaki spoke on at just one briefing on Thursday: Russia, Ukraine, China, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Mali, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Vietnam, India, Egypt. The US cares about everything.
As a result, the number of topics, of course, affects the quality of their analysis. It turned out that Jen Psaki, when delivering a text prepared by her assistants, often does not understand what she is saying.
Jen Psaki, US State Department spokesperson: "We do not recognize the results of the referendum that took place in Donetsk and Lugansk. There were reports of election carousels, pre-filled ballots, children voting and voting for absentees."
Matt Lee, Associated Press correspondent: "Forgive my ignorance. What is an election carousel? I've never heard of one."
Jen Psaki: “I must admit that I’m just reading this text. I don’t know what it is. I’ll check with my colleagues what it’s about.”
Jen Psaki: "I think not, Matt."
“I need to clarify” and “let’s return to this topic later” are phrases that journalists hear from the State Department representative regularly. Recently, she was unable to name a single significant achievement of American foreign policy during the tenure of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, although she herself raised this topic at Psaki’s briefing. There is nothing to say about “inconvenient” questions.
Gayane Chichakyan, Russia Today journalist: “Is it a coincidence that both times the Ukrainian authorities sent troops to Eastern Ukraine immediately after the visit of high-ranking US representatives to Kyiv? The first time it was John Brennan, and now it is Vice President Joe Biden. Biden advised this act, or is this a coincidence?
Jen Psaki: “I think you are simply repeating the words of Foreign Minister Lavrov.”
Gayane Chichakyan: “Well, what is your answer?”
Jen Psaki: "Next question!"
However, not only journalists, but also the State Department itself often puts its official representative in an awkward position. An example of this is photographs of a bearded man in camouflage, which Washington took from the Internet and called evidence of the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
Matt Lee, Associated Press correspondent: “How sure are you that these photographs show people with ties to Russia?”
Jen Psaki: “These photographs went around all the world’s media, they were on Twitter, and they are in the public domain. In the photographs we see that these people, judging by their external signs, are clearly related to Russia.”
Matt Lee: "Is this what you call proof?"
Psaki: "Hmm."
Said, journalist: “But you don’t want to say that the US government, with all its intelligence and so on, now depends on the photographs that were posted on the Internet!?”
Jen Psaki: “These pictures are from open sources. Draw your own conclusions.”
The topic was immediately picked up by comedy shows. Even the Americans themselves laughed at the State Department.
"Seriously? This is your evidence?! A fat guy with a beard?! Yes, in Eastern Europe everyone is like that! Yes, he looks like almost every guy in the world! Yes, this is two thirds of the ZZ Top group. Or is this the guy who produced the first album Beastie Boys!" - jokes the host of the comedy show “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.
Psaki also tries to joke, or rather laugh it off. It turns out awkwardly, as, for example, in the story of Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who, in a telephone conversation with Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, discussing options for the configuration of the future Ukrainian government (again, it would seem, what does the United States have to do with it?) made obscene remarks about the European Union.
Jen Psaki: “You all know Toria well, and you are probably aware that when she was 23 years old, she lived on board a Russian ship for 8 months, and may have learned certain vocabulary there.”
Question: “So they taught her to swear? Do you mean that she is prejudiced against Russia?”
Jen Psaki: "No, my guess is that she may have learned some Russian profanity on board that fishing boat."
Journalist: “But she swore in English.”
Jen Psaki: "She... Okay, I was joking."
Journalist: “Oh, I see.”
There is a clear shortage of personnel in the State Department, analysts say, and note that there is a particularly lack of specialists in Russia. Young personnel prefer the Arab or Chinese direction, while the old ones think in categories cold war. The result is obvious.
Fragment of the humorous show "The daily show with Jon Stewart":
Host: “And now the question is: what should America do with all this now? What is the stupidest option you can come up with?”
Congressman: "We have to make a tactical decision and arm Kyiv, give them 100 T-72 tanks from NATO stockpiles."
Presenter: “We have already done this!!! But the pro-Russian fighters took them away and are now having fun in the parking lot near the store!”
Washington currently does not have a well-thought-out policy in relations with Russia, experts say. Because there is simply no one to think about the prospects. Decisions are made depending on the situation, and it changes rapidly. The Obama administration does not have time to calculate the consequences.
Since 1983, the State Department budget has included expenses for the training of advisers on the USSR. After all, the United States had to take into account Moscow’s interests around the world. Then the accents in global politics shifted, and last year the State Department even completely stopped funding programs for training Russian analysts. Now it turns out that they were in a hurry. As the newspapers write, the programs are going to not only be restored, but perhaps even expanded.
Namely.ru studied the life of an official representative of the US State Department.
The Runet recently got a new hero – US State Department official Jen Psaki. She gained wide popularity thanks to her controversial, and sometimes funny, statements. We decided to study what kind of girl this was and how she came to live like this.
Biography of Jen Psaki
Jennifer Renee "Jen" Psaki was born in 1978 in Stamford, Connecticut. 18 years later, she graduated from Greenwich High School, and four years later from the research university College of William and Mary. While at university, Jen was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and was a backstroke swimmer. At the age of 32, Psaki married Gregory Mocher.
Jen's political career began in 2001, when she participated in the re-election campaign of Democratic candidates in Iowa, Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack. In 2004, she served as press secretary for John Kerry's election campaign, and in 2005-2006, she served as communications director for member of the House of Representatives Joseph Crowley. During Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, Psaki served as his traveling press secretary. When the senator won the election, Psaki became deputy press secretary in the White House. On the next presidential elections Jen again became Obama's press secretary, and on February 11 last year she took the position for which we all know her now.
Jen Psaki's remarks
As the official representative of the US State Department, Jen Psaki expresses the department's point of view on various events. Thus, discussing the attack on an armory in the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk, Jen stated that civilians died due to the fault of supporters of federalization, but did not provide a source of information. At a press conference on referendums on self-determination in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, Jen Psaki spoke about the so-called “carousel mechanisms” of voting. She could not explain what they were, saying that she only saw mentions of it, but did not go into details. At the next press conference on June 13, Psaki suggested that near Slavyansk the Russian side used phosphorus bombs, which are prohibited international conventions. Trying to evaluate the statement of Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who called the Donetsk and Lugansk militias “subhumans,” Jennifer said that he wanted to point out the inhumanity of supporting separatists who are destabilizing eastern Ukraine.
Reaction to Jen Psaki in Russia
The ambiguity of Jennifer's judgments led to the fact that in Russia they began to attribute non-existent statements to her. TV presenter Alexander Gordon said in the “Politics” program on Channel One on June 17 that Jen allegedly called Ukrainian refugees tourists who go to the Rostov region to breathe healing there mountain air. The fact that these words are fiction was confirmed by Matt Lee, during a briefing with whom, as Gordon claimed, Psaki placed mountains in the Rostov region and turned refugees into tourists with one wave of a magic wand.
Behind a short time Several jokes on the topic “As Psaki stated” were published on the Runet. Immediately, poor Jennifer was showered with insults from the Russian sharks: “ Russian newspaper” stated that Psaki’s name has become “the standard for measuring stupidity,” writer Dmitry Lekukh called the American young lady an “archetypal fool.” In response to this, Jen herself stated on June 11 that she had become a “victim Russian propaganda” and criticized Russia for its method of waging information warfare.
I see this [campaign] as a medal of honor. The fact that so much time was spent attacking me during all this time is funny and entertaining. I'm in good company here: many women who worked in the US government have been targeted by the Russian propaganda machine. So I take it for granted.
Video with Jen Psaki
The speaker of the US State Department is pregnant - this news has become the main news in Russia today. Why?
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has become perhaps the most mythologized character in Russian state media. But few people really know about her. We will fill this gap.
1. Psaki is Greek on her father’s side. and her mother is part Polish. She was born in Stamford (Connecticut) on December 1, 1978 in the family of a psychotherapist and a builder.
At his wedding with his mother.
2. How Russian propaganda made a scapegoat out of Psaki.
Psaki became a forced meme (Forced meme - from the English forced meme - a meme that arose thanks to a targeted PR campaign using technical means and often paid mentions on the Internet) for state media in Russia.
And since all Russian TV is state-owned, and the majority of Russians watch it, it has become very popular in Russia. Some joke that she could perform in the Russian Federation on tour, collecting full houses.
In fact, Psaki is the brainchild of Kremlin bots. This is also evidenced by the almost empty thematic VKontakte groups. In addition, the rhetoric and style of commentators is too reminiscent.
Much of the online campaign around Psaki’s meme was posted by pro-Kremlin blogger and former State Duma deputy Konstantin Rykov.
3. Psaki’s husband, Gregory Metcher, is the Deputy Chief of Staff of the American Government.
From an article in the Washington Post, we learned that the couple met under rather amusing circumstances. In 2006, Psaki worked as a representative in the US House of Congress and organized an event in which her future husband participated.
He called her to ask how to get to the desired location, but received the wrong answer from Jen and went in a completely different direction.
“I wasn’t even offended, on the contrary, I was very intrigued. Why did she let me get lost? This woman is charming,” Gregory said. Psaki admitted that the future “husband did not look offended or puzzled after the prank.” We can assume that the main man in the life of the ex-State Department representative was attracted by the beads, which over her long career became an integral accessory to her style.
And so the romance between the future State Department representative and the economist began. Almost four years passed until the lovers decided to get married.
4. In principle, press secretaries always have enough ill-wishers, since they take the rap for their bosses.
US Secretary of State John Kerry congratulates Jen Psaki on her first State Department briefing on board the plane.
5. Lavrov gave Psaki a pink soldier’s earflap with cockade.
In the photo from right to left: Head of the State Department of Keria, head of the information department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharchenko (i.e., Psaki’s direct colleague. After Psaki became popular in Russia, Maria began to appear frequently in the Russian media), Jen Psaki, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.
6. Since Psaki doesn’t make verbal gaffes often enough, her Russian “fans” use their imagination.
One of the bloggers composed the following statement on her behalf: “In the event of an invasion of Belarus into the territory of Ukraine, the US 6th Fleet will be immediately transferred to the shores of Belarus.” Nearby there are pictures: mustachioed barge haulers pulling a warship across a wheat field, and a submarine in the tall grass.
Arik Toler mentions in his article another recent Internet fake - “Psaki’s comment” regarding the victory of the Russian hockey team over the US team: “This match had nothing to do with real hockey. In the 21st century you cannot play hockey as if it were the 20th century. The imperial ambitions of the Russian team are clearly demonstrated in the very methods of playing the game, as was the case in the worst years of the USSR.”
On June 17, on the air of Channel One as part of the Politics program, presenter Alexander Gordon cited a non-existent statement by Jen Psaki: she allegedly refused to acknowledge the presence of Ukrainian refugees in the Rostov region, and in response to a clarifying question from Associated Press correspondent Matt Lee about who was coming from the territory Ukraine, replied: “These are just tourists. For example, they say that in the Rostov mountains there is wonderful healing mountain air.”
The Slon correspondent contacted Matt Lee, who said that there was no such dialogue between him and the State Department press secretary at any of the briefings. On his Twitter account, he explained that he never discussed refugees or the landscape features in the Rostov region with Psaki.
And any news about Pskaki causes an inadequate reaction in the Russian media.
Dogs in one boot caused a stir in the Russian media
On July 30, a number of Russian media reported that Jen Psaki spoke to the public wearing only one boot. However, not all publications considered it necessary to explain that Psaki was wearing a special medical boot due to a leg injury.
7. Next question...
At State Department press conferences, a media representative can ask anything. Through journalists, officials must explain to the public why this or that decision is being made in the Middle East, Libya, Afghanistan or in relation to Russia. In essence, the press secretary must take the rap for the entire American foreign policy. Catching an official with incompetence is a nice thing.
It should be noted that there is nothing like this in Russia. No one speaks to the foreign press explaining their policies. Isolated cases (abroad) of such explanations cover the reaction of Psaki’s entire long-term activity.
And what kind, there would be enough for 50 memes like Psaki for the American press. If only there weren’t a lot of them, just like the state media in the case of Psaki, they were interested in what was happening inside Russia.
8. Associated Press correspondent Matt Lee is Psaki's main troll in Washington.
The Associated Press's Lee plays the role of the tenacious journalist at State Department briefings, wringing a quotation out of the official to find fault with. This is how the relationship between journalists and officials in the United States works.
There is nothing like this in Russia: no such briefings, no such journalists.
9. On NTV there is a program “Dogs for the Night”. In the USA, even about the existence of Minister Lavrov, a dozen specialists know.
10. How she reacts to the use of her estate in Russian propaganda.
A State Department spokeswoman gave an interview to Voice of America.
