This week, when discussing the decisions by state authorities in Texas and Mississippi to cancel mask-wearing mandates and end COVID-19 restrictions on business operations, President Joe Biden decried the developments as “Neanderthal thinking.” As he noted, COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be plentiful enough for every adult American by the end of May, and that’s not too far in the future, making late-stage departures from safety precautions even more misguided.
GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Fox Business: "Neanderthals are hunter-gatherers, they're protectors of their family, they are resilient, they're resourceful, they tend to their own. So, I think Joe Biden needs to rethink what he is saying."
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) March 4, 2021
Republicans are, apparently, refusing to let the “Neanderthal thinking” comment fade — during an appearance this Thursday on Fox, Sen. Marsha Blackburn actually launched a fervent defense of Neanderthals, who’ve been extinct for tens of thousands of years. Strangely, Blackburn even characterized Neanderthals with present-tense verbs, despite the fact that they’re extinct!
Blackburn commented as follows:
‘We were called Neanderthals when I led the fight against the imposition of a state income tax in Tennessee, so you know what I did? I started the Neanderthal Caucus, because Neanderthals are hunter-gatherers. They are protectors of their families. They are resilient; they are resourceful. They tend to their own. So I think Joe Biden needs to rethink what he is saying about the states that are choosing to move away from these mask mandates.’
Check out her bizarre remarks below:
Marsha Blackburn responds to Biden's "Neanderthal" comments w/ impassioned defense of Neanderthals: "Neanderthals are hunter-gatherers, they're protectors of their family, they're resilient, they're resourceful, they tend to their own. So I think Joe Biden needs to rethink [it]." pic.twitter.com/758y7urJKZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2021
Blackburn’s comments are incredible. is she seriously trying to positively hearken back to a period in global history tens of thousands of years in the past when most Neanderthals died within the first few to several decades of their lives? Essentially, Blackburn — a sitting U.S. Senator — is extolling a period before the modern human historical record even began, casting the time as a great period for personal responsibility and family connections… or something. Ideally, in the year 2021, people would be able to find some positive point of reference more recent than pre-historic Neanderthals!
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: "If you didn't know better, you would say that this behemoth of a spending bill is all about demoralizing the American people." pic.twitter.com/1dC1Xo6gpe
— The Hill (@thehill) March 4, 2021
The question of won’t somebody stick up for the Neanderthals isn’t the only ridiculous output from the GOP-osphere in recent days. Republicans have also been spiraling over private company decisions to update Mr. Potato Head toys and the Dr. Seuss book offerings, casting these developments as harbingers of some kind of terrifying new age dominated by cancel culture, or something. Republicans’ dedication to finding issues to transform into grandiose culture war grievances is seriously pathetic. Back down in reality, their constituents could use their assistance, not these clownishly self-serving antics.
Blackburn wasn’t even the only one who offered praise for Neanderthals after Biden’s remarks — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) did the same.
President Biden’s use of an old stereotype is hurtful to modern Europeans, Asians & Americans who inherit about 2% of their genes from Neanderthal ancestors. https://t.co/aXHJV5wLlr
He should apologize for his insensitive comments and seek training on unconscious bias.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 4, 2021
