Twitter users expressed a combination of shock, outrage and amusement after ex-White House press secretary Jen Psaki applauded her former boss, President Biden, for giving public remarks at 9 a.m. despite typically "doing nothing" at the start of regular business hours.
"It's important to note, President Biden does nothing at 9:00 a.m. He is a night owl," Psaki told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday. "So, the fact that he is doing this at 9:00 a.m. anyway speaks to how vital the White House recognizes it is for him to have his voice out there."
Psaki was referring to Biden on Monday addressing the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Speaking from the White House, Biden said the American banking system remains safe, customers would have access to their money, and taxpayers wouldn't be on the hook for the administration's actions to contain the collapse.
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Chad Gilmartin, deputy spokesperson for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., quickly flagged Psaki's comments on Twitter.
Social media users also jumped on Psaki's remarks, with some poking fun at them while others blasted the president for not working when most Americans have already begun their workday.
"Lol. They're praising him because he showed up during normal work hours? The bar is on the floor," wrote Abigail Marone, communications director for Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
"The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES doesn't start working until after 9AM?! This is not okay," added author and ACT for America founder Brigitte Gabriel.
"Rest assured, America," tweeted Colin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics. "Jen Psaki says Biden never does anything at 9AM so him giving a 3 min speech is a big deal & shows he is taking the bank failures seriously."
"Jen Psaki thinks Americans can find comfort in the fact that Joe Biden can give a 5 minute speech at 9 AM," tweeted Townhall.com's "Video Czar" Kevin McMahon.
Actor and comedian Terrence Williams posted a viral reaction video to Psaki's comments, expressing bewilderment at the notion that Biden should be praised for working at 9 a.m. on a non-holiday Monday.
"EXCUSE ME," he tweeted. "The American people should thank Joe Biden for waking up and working at 9am. He is supposed to be up in the morning working for us."
"This is how I know he is not running the country," he continued. "Jesus we need a New President"
Some Twitter users blasted Biden as "lazy," questioning whether he works and noting that many Americans are well into their workday by 9 a.m.
Others were quick to flag a CNN story from 2021 that appeared to directly contradict Psaki's claim that Biden is a "night owl." According to the article, Biden "is more of an early-to-bed type."
The CNN story in combination with Psaki's remarks raise the question of how many hours Biden works a day if he goes to bed early and starts work late.
One Twitter user quipped that media outlets will now start writing stories on "why 17 hours of sleep a night is a sign you're a strong leader."
