On May 13, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed that she would delete some parts of her book after being challenged on a particular remark about President Joe Biden. In her latest book, "Say More," Psaki describes her experiences working in the Biden and Obama administrations. Psaki offers a close-up view of the White House, including a significant event in 2021. 

Controversy Over Biden's Watch-Checking at Ceremony

In 2021, President Biden went to a ceremony for soldiers for the 13 service members who died during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, whose remains were brought to Dover Air Force Base. They were among the 6,000 US troops Biden sent to assist in the evacuation by airlift. These soldiers were killed in an attack outside the Kabul airport.

Biden gave tribute to the soldiers, stating that the American service members who gave their lives were heroes engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save others. This moment became controversial, especially among critics, including former President Donald Trump, who used images of Biden looking at his watch during the ceremony to criticize the President's character. Trump has frequently referenced these images in his efforts to undermine Biden ahead of the upcoming election.

In her book, Psaki initially claimed that Biden did not look at his watch during the ceremony, stating that 'the President looked at his watch only after the ceremony had ended. Moments later, he and the First Lady headed toward their car.' She further accused Biden's critics of spreading 'misinformation' to portray him as insensitive. However, this claim contradicts photographic evidence and statements from families at the ceremony.

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Many family members of the 13 soldiers have repeatedly stated in interviews and before Congress that Biden checked his watch as the caskets passed. Mark Schmitz, father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, told Congress in August 2023 that he felt frustrated watching Biden repeatedly check his watch during the ceremony.

Shana Chappell, the mother of Marine Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, wrote in a Facebook post that she observed Biden checking his watch multiple times during the ceremony. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that their photographer captured two instances of Biden looking at his watch 10 minutes apart. USA Today also fact-checked and confirmed these occurrences.

Acknowledging Discrepancy

In light of this evidence, Psaki acknowledged the discrepancy and stated that 'the detail in a few lines of the book about the exact number of times he looked at his watch will be removed in future reprints and the ebook.'

Psaki elaborated on the significance of the event, explaining that her account aimed to highlight the importance of providing feedback even in difficult situations. She shared her experience of telling President Biden that the grieving families of the fallen service members did not well receive his personal story of loss.

This development comes as Biden and Trump are positioned to be the probable Democratic and Republican contenders for the upcoming presidential race. Nonetheless, voters often voice discontent with both candidates, making a repeat of the 2020 election undesirable. Polls indicated a close race between the two in hypothetical general election scenarios.

A major poll revealed that Trump leads Biden in five out of six crucial swing states for the upcoming November election. This trend is not new, as surveys have consistently shown Biden trailing in states he won four years ago. Despite Biden's recent campaign efforts and substantial advertising spending, his support has not increased significantly.

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