Contrary to the opinions of some others, I’m pretty sure Jen Psaki is not actually good at her job. That’s not to say Joe Biden’s press secretary isn’t talented in her ability to deflect and deliver the talking points of the White House. But as I’ve shared in the past, I think much of her performance is a mirage.

Yes, Psaki is good at doing things that make Democrats squee with delight as they shout “Psaki-bomb” on social media. But she is terrible when it comes to the actual purpose of her job, which is to communicate effectively. A president doesn’t have a comms shop for giggles. Even when it comes to political spin, the point is to persuade, and Psaki has proven to be absolutely horrible at that task.

That conflict of results was once again on display in an interview Psaki recently did in which she mocked those showing concern for crime.

Jen Psaki mocks people discussing the “consequences” of “soft-on-crime” policies: “What does that even mean?” pic.twitter.com/C1KEnXVIQI

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 31, 2022

In the clip, Psaki points off to the side at what we can assume is a television showing the live feeds of the various cable news networks. She notes that CNN and MSNBC have chyrons mentioning the possible deployment of 8,500 troops to Europe. Whether that’s true or not, who knows. That kind of thing would be a job for Newsbusters to confirm, and the idea that CNN and MSNBC don’t often have wildly hyperbolic segments is alter-reality stuff.

Regardless, she moves on to Fox News, noting that their chyron reads “soft-on-crime consequences.” Yet, instead of conceding that’s a serious issue that holds serious implications for many Americans, Psaki mocks the concern, asking “What does that even mean?” as she chuckles into the camera. She then proclaims such coverage as part of an “alternate-universe,” claiming it’s “scary” that people are watching it.

Now, imagine you live in Washington, DC, right across the bridge from the affluent, well-protected neighborhood that Psaki resides in. Murders are up, car thefts are up, and property crime is exploding. Wouldn’t you find the administration’s mocking of those realities rather insulting? I know I would. Clearly, soft-on-crime policies in major blue cities are harming and killing scores of people. That’s not really debatable at this point.

This is where we get back to the results of Psaki’s tenure. There is more to delivering talking points than adding in the requisite amount of sass. That kind of thing may make Jennifer Rubin hot and bothered, but millions of Americans are actually fearful to walk outside at night because their cities have been turned into warzones. That Psaki won’t even acknowledge that as she laughs at the poor rubes who can’t use DoorDash every evening offers a window into Joe Biden’s woes.

The president’s collapsing approval is directly related to the administration’s inability to operate within the reality that clearly exists. Crime is out of control. Admitting that and working to fix it would likely help the White House gain support. But Psaki would rather mock and ridicule any concern that falls outside the woke orthodoxy of the left. Biden ran his presidential campaign on being the sane moderate who would operate within the confines of common sense. Yet, the message from Psaki and the rest of his handlers is clear: They despise you.

For that, the Biden administration will continue to pay a political price.