Psaki Dodges Question On Soaring Crime Rates, Blames ‘Guns Problem’

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said “there is a guns problem” when asked about an uptick in violent crimes during a press briefing Monday.

“This past weekend there were more than a dozen mass shootings across this country. 4000 more people [were] shot and killed by guns in 2020 compared to the year before. Is there a crime problem in this country?,” a reporter asked Psaki.

“Well, I would say certainly there is a guns problem. And that’s something the president would say,” Psaki replied.

Actually in awe of how Jen Psaki spins the uptick in violence in the last year as a “GUNS PROBLEM” and not a crime problem.

Are we really just going to pretend there weren’t riots every night and complete lawlessness over the summer? pic.twitter.com/J2hcM0HxcA

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 24, 2021

Psaki conceded that “violence is an issue” in some local communities, adding that President Joe Biden‘s administration’s decision to increase funding for the so-called “community violence prevention programs” aims to address the violence epidemic. (RELATED: Biden Goes All In On Calls For Extreme Gun Control)

The Minneapolis City Council voted December 2020 to re-allocate $7.7 million from the police department to violence prevention and community programs. Violent crimes in Minneapolis grew by 21% in 2020 from the year before, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“Between mass shootings … that get a lot of attention … there are hundreds of thousands people who lose their lives,” Psaki added. “That’s one of the reasons the president will continue to advocate for the Senate passing universal background checks, but also advocate for action in states.”