Politico is questioning whether Biden officials have been truthful when they have claimed they have âbeen clearâ about the administrationâs policies.
In an article titled âThe White House insists âWe have been clear.â Has it?â published Tuesday, the outlet slammed Biden officials, saying they have a âdifferent definition of âclearâ than reporters.â
âWe have been clear,â is the repeated phrase in question. It has been used by the president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, deputy press secretary Andrew Bates, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
âBut they often havenât been clear â after all, why would the reporters be asking?â Politico writes.
Compiling a video of Biden officialsâ remarks, the outlet writes that âspokespeople from the White House to the Pentagon to the State Department seem addicted to various versions of that phrase.â
Watch the video below:
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Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin told Politico, âWe have been clearâ is to a Biden spox what the phrase âfugetaboutitâ is to Lefty from Donnie Brasco. Itâs a catchall for dodging legitimate questions about failed or failing policies.â
Politico lays out an example: âFor example, the administration says it has been clear in conversations with Israel that Israel needs to limit civilian casualties, âbut we actually have never taken steps to make that happen,'â citing Hala Rharrit, a former Arab-language spokesperson in the State Department.
âSaying âwe have been clearâ is an attempt to be a show of force, pretending like we are doing something,â she said. âBut in reality, it is just words.â
