‘Scandal’ Meets Reality: Fans Say Biden’s Press Secretary Jen Psaki Is the Real-Life Abby Whelan

On Inauguration Day, as President Joe Biden officially took office, his newly appointed press secretary, Jen Psaki, stepped behind the podium for her first White House briefing. But while the nation tuned in for policy and direction, many viewers were captivated by something entirely unexpected: her uncanny resemblance to a fictional character.

Within moments of her televised appearance on January 20, fans of ABC’s hit political drama Scandal couldn’t help but point out what felt like life imitating art. To them, Jen Psaki was more than the new face of the Biden administration—she was a near-double of Scandal’s beloved, fiery White House press secretary, Abby Whelan, played by actress Darby Stanchfield.

A Viral Comparison: Fiction Meets the Briefing Room

The parallels were hard to miss. Both women possess a commanding presence, a composed demeanor under pressure—and yes, striking red hair. Social media quickly lit up with side-by-side comparisons, memes, and one lighthearted request that Darby Stanchfield make a cameo on Saturday Night Live to spoof her real-life counterpart.

And Stanchfield herself wasn’t about to miss the moment.

Darby Stanchfield Joins the Fun

In a playful and self-aware post shared on Friday, the Scandal star embraced the comparison by uploading a split image—Abby Whelan on one side, Jen Psaki on the other. Alongside the photo, Stanchfield offered humorous (and fictional) advice for her “real-world twin,” peppered with inside references from the Shonda Rhimes-created series that aired from 2012 to 2018 and is now streaming on Hulu.

“If your boss forgets your name, slap a name tag on. (Fitz called me ‘Gabby’ for WEEKS),” she quipped, referring to Scandal’s fictional president, Fitzgerald Grant.

“Don’t get power hungry and try to get your friend killed. It won’t go well,” she joked, nodding to the drama’s signature twists.

“No such thing as too much hairspray. Ever.
Best, ‘Red’ aka Sassy Abby Whelan.”

In a follow-up tweet, she added simply: “No crying.” Fans of the show instantly recognized it as one of Abby’s golden rules when facing the press corps—or any emotional crisis inside the fictional West Wing.

Psaki’s Calm Amid the Noise

Though Psaki didn’t publicly respond to the Scandal-infused message, her return to the podium is far from her first. A seasoned veteran of Washington, she previously served as the White House communications director during President Barack Obama’s final years in office and as the State Department spokesperson from 2013 to 2015. Her career also includes key communications roles throughout Obama’s first term.

A Connecticut native and graduate of the College of William & Mary, Psaki is widely recognized for her sharp communication skills and steady presence—a style that resonated with many on Inauguration Day, when she vowed to “bring truth and transparency back to the briefing room.”

A Pop Culture Moment with Substance

In an era where politics, entertainment, and internet culture frequently intersect, the Psaki–Abby Whelan comparison was a reminder of how deeply political storytelling has seeped into the national psyche. It also highlights how characters like Abby Whelan—fictional though they may be—have shaped the way many Americans view the role of the press secretary: quick on their feet, eloquent under fire, and sharp enough to hold a room.

Jen Psaki embodies much of that in reality—and with the added weight of real-world stakes.

Whether or not Stanchfield ends up parodying her doppelgänger on SNL, one thing’s certain: the line between political fiction and fact has rarely felt so delightfully blurred.