Jen Psaki had Congresswoman Lamonica McIver enjoying tee ball Tuesday with questions on federal costs she’s going through from the U.S. Legal professional’s workplace in New Jersey after an incident outdoors an ICE detainment facility on Might 9, in Newark. Psaki and MSNBC tried to cowl up the principle controversies of the ordeal by electing to solely present a mild-mannered, 10-second clip of the congresswoman in a crowd of colleagues and federal brokers. The published failed to point out essential physique cam footage of Congresswoman McIver pushing and shoving a number of ICE and DHS brokers as they tried to manage the group.
Jen Psaki selected to ask questions like:
Once you look again at video, I’m certain you had been simply digesting all of it within the second once you had been doing all these interviews that day. You’ve most likely talked to your colleagues. As you’ve pieced collectively what occurred. I imply, did you even know who you had been surrounded by on the time?
In an try to downplay McIver’s actions to a way she did not know who she was surrounded by. McIver took the layup query and incorrectly said that their facet was solely “attempting to ask questions” and “get explanations” from federal brokers. This performed into Psaki’s narrative that the federal brokers had been purely aggressors, although physique digital camera footage and quite a few different clips from the occasion confirmed McIver shoving, pushing, and shouting obscenities at federal brokers who had been attempting to manage the scenario.
Psaki went on to say; “One of many causes I wished to speak to you is there’s a lot misinformation on the market.” She then confirmed a clip of Border Czar Tom Homan calling the entire ordeal unprofessional, resulting in a Psaki follow-up: “He retains utilizing the phrase unprofessional. So I wish to know what you consider that, however I additionally wish to simply ask you, there’s a variety of inaccuracies in there. I wish to offer you an opportunity to inform everyone what all of the inaccuracies are.”
Any such biased query allowed McIver to play hero:
We didn’t bust our approach by. We didn’t do any of that, we had been invited there, ready there for them to come back give us a tour. And afterwards, we’d see them come and so they’re like speeding to concentrate on the mayor of Newark, which we’re like, what’s going on right here? We’re simply right here for our tour. Why are you going out right here to cope with this case? So on the finish of the day, I imply, every part that he’s saying, he doesn’t have the details. I imply, it’s simply a lot disconnect, I feel, between all of their departments and management. They’re not on the identical web page and unprofessional?
No, it’s unprofessional for us to need to undergo that. I feel when three members of Congress present up at your gate, it is best to have some respect and have some professionalism with them, however that is this administration. There isn’t any fundamental governing respect or, you already know, character with this administration. Issues are simply rogue, they’re doing no matter they wish to do.
McIver additionally took the possibility to name the administration and federal brokers on the scene “unprofessional.” Does this imply shoving officers and shouting “I contact whoever I need, motherf—er!” and saying “You’ll pay” is seen as skilled to Democrats in Congress?
The transcript is beneath. Click on “increase” to learn.
MSNBC’s The Briefing With Jen Psaki
Might, twentieth, 2025
9:15:59 PM EST
JEN PSAKI: Becoming a member of me now to debate the federal legal costs in opposition to her, filed by Trump’s hand-picked U.S. Legal professional for the state of New Jersey, who I simply talked about, is Congresswoman Lamonica McIver. Congresswoman, it’s nice to see you. I do know you have got had a hell of a few weeks. Thanks for being right here.
(….)
9:16:20 PM EST
PSAKI: In fact. I used to be simply watching as I used to be getting ready to speak to you as we speak, again to a few of the interviews on the day that each one of this occurred. And, on the time, you described it, and so did your colleagues who’re with you as being assaulted by a number of ICE brokers. Is that a part of the argument that you simply wish to make now, and that you simply plan to make in court docket as you proceed right here?
CONGRESSWOMAN LAMONICA MCIVER (D-NJ): So I undoubtedly plan on making that argument in court docket. I can’t wait to have my day in court docket, you already know, the place we are able to have due course of, which this administration has stripped a lot of having the ability to have due course of .
(…)
9:16:53 PM EST
PSAKI: Once you look again at video, I’m certain you had been simply digesting all of it within the second once you had been doing all these interviews that day. You’ve most likely talked to your colleagues. As you’ve pieced collectively what occurred, I imply, did you even know who you had been surrounded by on the time?
(…)
9:17:22 PM EST
MCIVER: We had been attempting, to ask questions, attempting to get rationalization from the officers that had been there, and it was simply so chaotic. And ICE and Homeland Safety undoubtedly escalated the scenario, prompted the chaos within the confrontation, and it simply was so pointless.
(…)
9:17:50 PM EST
PSAKI: It’s additionally — I’d simply state anyone can present up. You’ve got this proper as a member of congress to an ICE facility to conduct oversight —
MCIVER: With out an appointment
PSAKI: — with out an appointment. Now after the scrum outdoors that we simply noticed that you’ve got been charged with assault over. You probably did a tour of the ICE facility?
MCIVER: Sure, yep.
PSAKI: Had been any of the identical individuals that you simply acknowledged from the scrum part of that tour?
MCIVER: The identical individuals had been there.
PSAKI: It was the identical individuals!
(…)
9:19:06 PM EST
PSAKI: It’s with the identical individuals! I’m simply going to restate, as a result of I feel that’s a bit mind-blowing given the place we’re. I discussed this within the opening of the present that the Justice Division has a Public Integrity Part that at all times has to sometimes approve if there are costs which are going to be filed in opposition to a member of Congress or an elected official, and generally these are warranted. They didn’t do this on this case, in keeping with NBC reporting, which I don’t know for those who simply realized that as we speak, however what’s your response to that?
MCIVER: I imply, it’s not surprising. We’ve been seeing from this administration fixed, you already know, breaking of the foundations, fixed breaking of the method, fixed disregard to the Structure. We’ve seen all of it, you already know.
(…)
9:20:10 PM EST
PSAKI: You had been charged by Alina Habba. I simply gave a bit little bit of an outline, although, there she has fairly a historical past. Do you assume you’ll have been charged if it had been some other U.S. Legal professional on this — on this — function?
MCIVER: I imply, I don’t assume so. I imply, it’s — I don’t wish to speculate. I imply, I feel anybody that Trump, you already know, promotes or appoints, I imply, I feel they’ve been problematic from each division you possibly can consider.
(…)
9:21:35 PM EST
PSAKI: No query about it. Tons taking place in each state. You stated this morning that — um, nicely, Habba stated you had declined each alternative to come back to a decision. You stated they wished you to confess to one thing you didn’t do. What did they need you to confess to?
MCIVER: I imply there was lots. We’ve had per week of backwards and forwards with them, and I’ll say that I didn’t waver. You recognize, I confirmed up there to do my job, and he or she wished me to confess to doing these items, all of those lists of issues that she stated that I did.
PSAKI: Like what?
MCIVER: I imply from issues of impeding, you already know, uhh I — um of — there was another issues in there that she put in there, however I can’t bear in mind precisely what it was.
(…)
9:22:35 PM EST
MCIVER: And why ought to we apologize about doing our job when ICE and Homeland Safety created that surroundings and that environment that we noticed on the market that day?
PSAKI: I feel a part of — one of many causes I wished to speak to you is there’s a lot misinformation on the market. I wish to play one thing that Tom Homan stated earlier as we speak on our air, which has a variety of disinformation on it. However I wish to discuss with you about it.
(…)
9:23:12 PM EST
PSAKI: He retains utilizing the phrase unprofessional. So, I wish to know what you consider that, however I additionally wish to simply ask you, there’s a variety of inaccuracies in there. I wish to offer you an opportunity to inform everyone what all of the inaccuracies are.
(…)
9:24:16 PM EST
MCIVER: We didn’t bust our approach by. We didn’t do any of that, we had been invited there, ready there for them to come back give us a tour. And afterwards, we might see them come and so they’re like speeding to concentrate on the mayor of Newark, which we’re like, what’s going on right here? We’re simply right here for our tour. Why are you going out right here to cope with this case? So on the finish of the day, I imply, every part that he’s saying, he doesn’t have the details. I imply, it’s simply a lot disconnect, I feel, between all of their departments and management.They’re not on the identical web page and unprofessional? No, it’s unprofessional for us to need to undergo that. I feel when three members of Congress present up at your gate, it is best to have some respect and have some professionalism with them, however that is this administration. There isn’t any fundamental governing respect or, you already know, character with this administration. Issues are simply rogue, they’re doing no matter they wish to do.
