Psaki agrees to sit for interview with House panel probing Afghanistan withdrawal

Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki has agreed to be interviewed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said this week.

McCaul's committee has for months been seeking testimony from Psaki about President Biden's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021.

In a letter to Psaki dated Monday, McCaul wrote his office was accepting Psaki's commitment to appear for a transcribed interview on July 26.

"However, I understand you have conditioned your appearance on approval by the White House," McCaul wrote. "As my staff informed your counsel, it is incumbent on a witness appearing before the Committee to make any third-party arrangements."

The chairman said he expects Psaki to "resolved the conditionality of your appearance by June 26, 2024."  

"If not, I must treat your June 12 response as a refusal to appear and you will be compelled to sit for a deposition on July 26, 2024," McCaul said.

The Hill has reached out to a representative for Psaki for comment on McCaul's Monday letter.

McCaul earlier this month threatened to issue a subpoena to compel Psaki to testify if she did not agree to speak with the committee about Biden's withdrawal of troops voluntarily.

At the time, Psaki's attorney told The Hill the former top White House aide "respects the important oversight function of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and wishes to be as helpful as possible in responding to the Committee’s legitimate oversight requests.” 

Psaki left Biden's White House in 2022 and has since joined MSNBC as a leading host and political analyst.