MS NOW host Jen Psaki expressed concerns about the Democratic Party’s struggles to gain visibility in today’s media landscape. She speculated whether she might be partly responsible, given the frequent focus on former President Donald Trump, even on her own show.
Challenges in the Media
Psaki conversed with former ABC News journalist Terry Moran, discussing the Democrats’ challenges ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Despite low approval ratings for Trump, Democrats were not leading as expected. She noted that while enthusiasm among Democrats remains high, the party struggles to present itself as more than just the opposition to Trump.
“It has taken some time for a lot of the leading Democratic voices to move from just anti-Trump to more than anti-Trump, right? To, ‘We’re not for Trump, but here’s what we’re offering,’” Psaki stated.
Dominance of Trump’s News Cycle
Psaki admitted that it is difficult to establish a narrative beyond Trump’s actions. She acknowledged the platform she and others have, suggesting that the media could be at fault for the lack of coverage of Democratic plans. Psaki pointed out, “…because the things Trump is doing every day are so crazy, it is hard for Democrats to break through with, ‘Here’s my plan for covering children under the age of six with additional health care benefits. Here’s my plan for giving more assistance to pre-K.’”
Psaki also mentioned the challenge of deciding who to feature outside of Trump-centric news. She reflected, “Maybe that’s a mistake.”
Lack of Public Awareness
Psaki emphasized that the public may not be well-informed about the Democrats’ strategies for improving lives. She noted, “…a big one is I don’t think the public knows enough about the Democrats’ plans for making their lives better, as much as they don’t like Trump.”
Media’s Role in Coverage
Moran agreed with Psaki, pondering how journalists should handle such issues. He commented, “And, you know, he is chaos and dominates every second of every day as much as he can… Do you cover the Trump show, or do you cover the Trump administration and what people should know about it?”
Criticism of Focus on the 25th Amendment
In April, Psaki questioned the focus some on the left placed on using the 25th Amendment against Trump during an interview with Stephen A. Smith. She remarked, “I think there are times, I think a lot of people on — and I can’t speak for everybody on the left, I don’t agree with everything everybody says on the left either — you know, sometimes it’s like, not constructive.”
“I mean, you’ve talked about the 25th Amendment,” she continued. “I have no issue with people saying they’re for invoking the 25th Amendment, but it’s not going to happen. So, it’s like why are we spending so much time, you know?”
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.