Psaki jokes that Russia may have actually sanctioned Biden's late father
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday joked that new Russian sanctions may have actually targeted President Joe Biden's late father, and not the president himself, Business Insider reported.
Russia's Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on a group of prominent US politicians on Tuesday, including Biden, Psaki, secretary of state Antony Blinken, and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Biden's legal name is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. A list published on a Russian government website omitted the junior suffix in spelling his name.
"I would first note that President Biden is a 'junior,' so they may have sanctioned his dad — may he rest in peace," Psaki told reporters during a press briefing.
"None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia, none of us have bank accounts that we won't be able to access, so we will forge ahead," she added.
Despite the suffix mix-up, a press release from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies the sanctions targeted "President J. Biden."