REVEALED: Jen Psaki’s secret role delivering a special gift from Meghan Markle to Jill Biden in the White House

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, in her new memoir, reveals how she carried a special gift from Meghan Markle into the White House and gave it to first lady Jill Biden.

Dailymail.com revealed exclusively in July that the Duchess of Sussex sent the American first lady a box of lemons to thank her for what was seen as a supportive gesture towards Meghan following her and Harry’s controversial TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Psaki revealed she was the one who smuggled the lemons into the White House on Meghan’s behalf. 

She writes that after DailyMail.com revealed that Meghan sent a box of lemons to Biden, there was a round of conspiracies theories on the internet about how the gift got delivered to the first lady.

‘How did the lemons get there? Who delivered them? This I can clear up once and for all. It was me! I delivered the lemons,’ she confesses.

Psaki said a ‘mutual friend’ arranged for the lemons to be sent to her home in Northern Virginia so she could carry them into the White House complex, by-passing the long, intensive screening process that mail sent directly to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue goes through.

Jen Psaki revealed she brought a gift from Meghan Markle into White House to give to Jill Biden

‘Meghan asked a mutual friend for help sending lemons to the White House. They were sent to my house instead (because it would have taken weeks for the lemons to make it through security, which would have resulted in a box of rotting lemons being delivered from the duchess to the First Lady),’ she writes.

Psaki’s memoir, ‘Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World,’ is currently available.  

“Say More. Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World” by Jen Psaki released on May 7, 2024 by Simon and Schuster

Typically, any mail sent to the White House, including gifts, goes to a center in suburban Maryland where it under goes a screening process that includes heat and radiation testing to counteract any potential toxic substances, such as anthrax.

The procedure – which also applies to mail going to members of Congress – was put in place after the September 11 attacks and after anthrax was sent to offices on Capitol Hill.

The high temperatures used to screen for toxins can literally burn pieces of mail black and would destroy any perishable substance.

For friends and families of the President and First Lady, items are usually sent to a point of contact, typically a staff member, who then brings it directly to the White House. 

It would still be screened but the process is more direct, less cumbersome and the gift is just x-rayed, not fried.  

The lemon gift basket came about after Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, when their fans saw something that made them believe that Jill Biden was sympathetic to the Duke and Duchess.

The day after the explosive interview aired in 2021, Jill wore an Oscar de la Renta dress with a lemon pattern to the State Department’s International Women of Courage Awards. She even topped it off with a matching face mask which she removed before speaking at the event.

The frock was similar to a $2,890 dress from the same designer that Meghan had worn a month before.

The day after Harry and Meghan’s explosive Oprah interview aired, Jill Biden wore an Oscar de la Renta dress with a lemon pattern to the State Department’s International Women of Courage Awards in 2021

Meghan and Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey was in May 2021, and the next day the First Lady appeared to show her support of the couple  

Meghan wore the same print and designer for her first appearance after quitting the royal family. Pictured: Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry at Spotify event 

 Jill is pictured delivering remarks at the International Women of Courage Awards  

Twitter saw Jill’s outfit as a subtle nod of support to Team Sussex even though the First Lady had worn the dress on several occasions before that and since then.

That’s when Meghan sent her box of lemons in thanks. 

It’s unclear what happened to the lemons after their arrival at the White House and the First Lady’s office didn’t respond to inquiries on the matter.

It’s also believed Jill, who is known for being thoughtful, would almost certainly have sent Meghan a thank you note for the gift.