‘Art of the Deal – for working people’: Psaki corrects Fox reporter trying to link Biden talks to Trump motto

In the latest instalment of the White House versus Fox News, press secretary Jen Psaki agreed to call the president’s negotiations on infrastructure the “Art of the Deal” with one correction – “for working people”.

Ms Psaki announced on Friday that Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion spending plan had been reduced to $1.7 trillion in the “art of seeking common ground”.

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked if at some point those negotiations become the “art of the deal”, referencing Donald Trump’s infamous 1987 tome of the same name.

“I don’t know, you’re the professional here Peter, you’re the TV star, you know? What’s the Fox chyron going to be?” Ms Psaki asked.

The press secretary and reporter have a history of rhetorical repartee in the briefing room as both attempt to trip the other up with various “gotcha” questions and ripostes.

When Doocy said the “art of seeking common ground” takes up a lot of characters, Ms Psaki agreed they’d be ok with calling it the “art of the deal”.

“I think that’s a headline,” Doocy said.

“Well there you go, art of a different kind of deal – a deal for the working people. Glad we could work that out,” Ms Psaki replied.

While the two negotiated at the podium on a headline, Republicans and Democrats weren’t as close to reaching an agreement on the White House’s infrastructure proposal.

A person familiar with the talks said on Friday said that Senate Republicans do not view the new $1.7 trillion plan a significant improvement from the earlier $2.3 trillion plan, according to Reuters.