It's not that there weren't several Psaki bombs dropped on Steve Doocy Wednesday — there were. It's just that this one, dropped on a 'reporter' I've yet to successfully identify, was so extraordinary it knocked Doocy into the background for the day.

I mean, talk about self-inflicted carnage. How does anyone walk into her press briefings so tragically unprepared?

"Just a quick question on inflation. Many people 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?" asked this pre-panfried 'reporter.'

Class, what have we learned about asking Ms. Psaki questions based on what "some people" or "many people" think or say?

Especially when what those "people" are saying things that are completely a-factual?

"AREN'T paid for?" Psaki asked, just to make sure she heard correctly.

"Right," said the "reporter."

"Build Back Better IS paid for," Psaki told her.

*SILENCE*

"Entirely," Psaki added, just to punctuate the moment.

"Can you speak to the concerns that are coming in that it's not actually..." the "reporter" ventured to recover, before Psaki said, "Who are the concerns from, though?"

*MORE SILENCE*

"But who's saying it's not paid for?" Psaki asked again.

*FULL THREE SECONDS OF SILENCE BEFORE "REPORTER" LOOKS DOWN AT HER PHONE*

Psaki took mercy on her to further explain, "Because there have been a range of economists who have said it's entirely paid for. That has been a priority for the president, and that has also been concluded by a number of Nobel laureates and 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 who are suggesting something else, but I don't know who those people are."

Psaki doesn't know who those people are because they are morons in diners in Long Island. But I digress.

The pathetic excuse for a reporter found her voice, and managed to tilt at the Psaki windmill again, asking, "So, if those bills do pass, it will not raise taxes?"

wHaT?

What kind of 4th-rate Playskool Jernalist Certificate does this person have?

Psaki explained it to her as if she were, indeed, in 4th grade, if not younger.

"Well, something being entirely paid for means that part of that is the highest income Americans and 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 said.

"So, they're also not expected to contribute to future inflation," said the person who's probably very happy to remain unidentified at this point.

"The Build Back Better Bill?" asked Psaki, clearly perplexed that this person wasn't grasping what she'd explained so clearly.

"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."

Immediately after the briefing, Peter Doocy went over to her and quietly handed her ten bucks, thanking her for giving him just one day when he was not the dumbest jackass in the room.

UPDATE:

Thanks to eagle-eyed commenter Zippity-Doo Daddy for identifying this person who, unsurprisingly, works for CBN - Christian Broadcasting Network. Caitlin Burke is said clueless person making her inauspicious debut in Jen Psaki's press shop here. From Mediaite:

But Burke, to her credit, owned up to everything, telling them “I’m not going to lie. I was a little mortified with my first White House briefing question, and I, you know, I will admit I wasn’t prepared enough.”

She summarized her question, which was about the costs and effects of the Build Back Better bill, and said of Psaki “instead of answering the question, she fired back at me, ‘Well, who says it’s not paid for?'”

“Not gonna lie, I have no idea,” Burke said with a laugh, and revealed “I was conferring with our economic expert at CBN, and I told him that the producer wanted inflation question. That’s what he suggested, and I should have done more research to be prepared to answer that question, but I came in with a question that had been sent on to me, blind.”