White House press secretary Jen Psaki pushed back on comments by U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry earlier this week suggesting that President Joe Biden was not aware of France’s negative response to the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
Fox News’s Peter Doocy first broached the subject during Wednesday’s White House briefing, asking Psaki, “What else are you guys not telling the president?”
KERRY: BIDEN ‘LITERALLY, LITERALLY’ HAD NO CLUE ABOUT FRANCE’S AUKUS ANGER
“Of course he was aware of the French being upset,” Psaki responded. “I know John Kerry quite well. He, of course, was aware of the president of the French being displeased about the deal with the Australians.”
Psaki added that Kerry also speaks regularly to the French as part of his role as the climate envoy,” is “someone who also served as secretary of state,” and “is someone I alone traveled to France with him 25 times.” Psaki was a State Department spokeswoman late in the Obama administration.
“He of course conveyed to the president, what his reading was, of what they were specifically unhappy about and how to help address it,” she continued.
Doocy pressed forward, however, claiming that “this president’s first love is foreign policy” and again asking, “Why doesn’t he know about these things in real time?”
“Of course he knew about the French being displeased,” Psaki reiterated. “I would encourage you to ask John Kerry specifically about the context of his comments. The president and the former secretary are also good friends. He relies on his counsel, as he does as many members of his national security team, but that certainly is not what he was intending to convey.”
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You can watch Wednesday’s entire briefing below.
