A reporter was silent after pushing right-wing talking points during the White House’s daily press briefing and being asked to explain her question. The Q&A was so disturbing one well-known political scientist weighed in on social media to declare the White House press corps an “embarrassment.”

“Just a quick question on inflation,” the unnamed reporter began as she asked her question on the administration’s plan to strengthen the social safety net and grow jobs. “Many believe that government spending is a big factor in the current inflation levels. Can you speak to concerns that spending plans that come out of Build Back Better aren’t paid for, and so could mean higher deficits and more inflation in the future.”

Psaki, a little stunned, confirmed she heard correctly: “Aren’t paid for? Build Back Better is paid for.”

The reporter was silent. As time moved on, so did Psaki.

“Entirely,” she added, definitively.

“Okay,” replied the reporter, apparently out of facts and with little understanding of what she was asking. “Can you speak to the concerns that are coming in that it’s not, actually?”

“Who are the concerns from though?” Psaki asked.

Silence again.

“Who’s saying it’s not paid for?” Psaki pressed.

More silence.

“Because there have been a range of economists saying it’s entirely paid for, and that has been a priority for the President. It has also been concluded by a number of Nobel laureates and experts from a range of economic experts on the outside that it will not contribute to inflation. So those are the global experts that we would point to, but there may be others suggesting something else, but I don’t know who those people are,” she said, allowing the reporter to offer a different response, to possibly retain her dignity.

“So if those bills do pass it will not raise taxes?” the reporter asked, which is an entirely different question.

“Well, something being entirely paid for means that part of that is the highest income Americans highest that companies would be asked to pay a little bit more. That has been part of the proposal and part of reforming the tax system to make it more fair,” Psaki explained.

“So they’re also not expected to contribute to future inflation, then?”

“The Build Back Better Bill? Again, it’s fully paid for, we would point to Nobel laureates and a range of global economists who have conveyed that it would not contribute to inflationary pressures.”

Watch:

Reporter: Can you speak to concerns that spending plans that come out of BBB aren’t paid for…
Psaki: BBB is paid for
Reporter: Can you speak to the concerns
Psaki: Who are the concerns from though?
Reporter: *silence* pic.twitter.com/PtoEpDXetZ

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 26, 2022

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was likened on CNN Friday to a Game of Thrones character who took to calling himself “Reek” after having his penis amputated during extensive torture.

CNN’s Brianna Keilar reported on Cruz groveling before Fox News personality Tucker Carlson after describing Jan. 6 as a terrorist attack.

“Straightforward, nothing crazy about that comment, Ted Cruz just saying what is,” Keilar noted.

But Cruz apologized to the Fox personality on-air.

WATCH: ‘I can’t say it with a straight face’: Morning Joe hilariously busts Lindsey Graham’s multiple personalities

Keilar discussed the series of events with co-host John Berman.

“Can I just say one more thing about Ted Cruz there,” Berman said. “It’s like 7:28 a.m. — Ted Cruz, do you know where your spine is?”

“I thought he handled it better in ‘Game of Thrones’ when he was Theon Grayjoy to Ramsey Bolton, there,” he continued. “Honestly, that was like Reek, it was like the same as watching Reek in ‘Game of Thrones’ there, how he was addressing him. The power structure there.”

“Did you just call him Reek?” Keilar said. “That is such an apt metaphor.”

“Well, if the shoe fits or the codpiece fits,” Berman replied..

“I don’t know. I think that, you know, Tucker Carlson will be picking his teeth this morning with Ted Cruz’s spine, is sort of what I think,” Keilar said.

Watch:

Texas Republicans received harsh criticism on Monday of 2 million households in The Lone Star State lost power due to a winter storm.

Former GOP Gov. Rick Perry went on Fox News to defend the GOP response to the storm.

“I love Texas, I don’t want to attack Texas,” Tucker Carlson said.

“On the other hand, the most basic responsibility of government, you’d think, is to keep the power on, especially as people need it to survive,” Carlson said. “They didn’t. Why?”

But at that exact moment, Perry lost his internet connection.

“He’s proving the point that we’re making,” Carlson concluded.

Rick Perry seems to have lost connection pic.twitter.com/gLay3TrYF9

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) February 16, 2021