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Watch: White House press secretary shuts down male reporter over abortion remarks

Watch: White House press secretary shuts down male reporter over abortion remarks

Jen Psaki

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, has received acclaim for interrupting a male reporter who was questioning Joe Biden about his support for abortion rights.

Owen Jones, a correspondent for the Catholic news network EWTN, asked Jen Psaki at the White House's daily press conference on Thursday why Catholic Joe Biden supported abortion rights while the church does not.

"How can the president accept abortion when his own Catholic faith teaches that it is morally wrong?" he asked.

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When the reporter asked who Biden believes should look out for the unborn child, Psaki replied: "He believes that it is up to a woman to make those decisions and up to a woman to make those decisions with her doctor."

"I know you have never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant, but for women out there who have faced those choices, this is an incredibly difficult thing.

"The president believes their rights should be respected."

Jones attempted to ask more questions, but Psaki shut him down, saying: "You’ve had plenty of time today."

It comes as Texas enacts stringent abortion legislation, allowing citizens to sue anyone involved in providing or facilitating an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

After the Supreme Court failed to block the bill in a 5-4 ruling, Biden promised a "whole-of-government" response.

Biden is a devout Catholic who frequently attends Mass on Sundays. While his views on abortion are at variance with the church's teachings, polling shows that the majority of Catholic people believe abortion should be permitted in all or most situations.

(With inputs from agencies)