White House Has Telling Response When Asked About Obama's Potential 'Superspreader' Birthday Party
Informed about what many consider a potential “superspreader” event taking place this weekend, the Biden White House danced around the least bit of condemnation noting there’s nothing to worry about because the guy in charge of it is a really strong supporter of vaccinations.
The event in question is former President Barack Obama’s 60th birthday extravaganza, scheduled to take place on the Obama compound located on Martha’s Vineyard. Initial reports peg the size of the very elite guest list at about 475 people with another 200 or so staff to cater to the whims of the invited.
Coming as it does amid calls for everyday Americans to embrace a new round of restrictions spawned by the administration’s panic over the delta variant of the coronavirus, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday whether the White House considers some potential superspreader events to be less dangerous than others based upon whom they involve.
Doocy also asked about Obama throwing a massive birthday party and whether he’s “setting the right example of how dangerous Covid is,” which led Psaki to defend it because “Obama has been a huge advocate of individuals being vaccinated,” there will be testing, and it’s outside pic.twitter.com/jGb11keCW7
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 2, 2021
“Is President Obama setting the wrong example about how serious COVID-19 is by hosting a big birthday party with hundreds of people this week?” Doocy asked during a White House briefing.
Psaki began to dance around an answer.
“Well, I would certainly refer you to the team who is working for my former boss to give you more specifics of what the protocols are in place,” she said.
“But I would note, first, that former President Obama has been a huge advocate of individuals getting vaccinated. When CDC provided guid- — has provided — what CDC has provided guidance on is for indoor settings in high or substantial high zones of COVID cases.”
Psaki said there is no cause for alarm.
“This event, according to all the public reporting, is outdoors and in a moderate zone. But in addition, there is testing requirements and other steps they are taking, which I’m sure they can outline for you in more detail,” she said.
Noting the extent to which the White House is pounding away at the message that “vaccinated people can still spread this delta variant around,” Doocy asked if the White House had any “concern that this President Obama birthday party might become a superspreader event?”
More dance steps followed.
“Well, I think, Peter, the guidance is about what steps people can take when they’re in public settings — indoor settings, specifically, was the new guidance — to keep themselves and others safe. In terms of what protocols they are taking, I would refer you to them, and I’m sure they can give you more details,” she said.
Doocy then asked how everyday Americans should interpret the White House’s tacit blessing of the event by refusing to criticize it.
“So, people who are watching this at home and they see, ‘Well, if President Obama can have a party with several hundred people,’ should they think that it is OK for them to have a party with several hundred people now?” he asked.
“This is a dangerous super-spreader event.”
“How can someone be so reckless?”
“They’re killing people.”
-The things Democrats would say if this was President Trump’s birthday party. https://t.co/TREe5jKCpI
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 2, 2021
Then came the final steps of the dance before Psaki moved on to other questions.
“Well,” she said, “we certainly advise everyone to follow public health guidelines, which I know the former president, who is a huge advocate of getting vaccinated, of following the guidance of public health experts, would certainly advocate for himself as well,” she said.
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