At a Monday press conference at the White House, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy questioned White House press secretary Jen Psaki about an upcoming birthday celebration for former President Barack Obama — which is, generally speaking, just not at all relevant to the Biden administration’s functioning. Doocy, though, wanted to know from Psaki whether there was concern about the event due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 around the country. Sure, large events — including events much larger than the Obama celebration — have been taking place around the country including very recently, but Doocy settled on asking whether people gathering on an island in Massachusetts (Martha’s Vineyard, to be exact) garnered special concern from the White House.
The Fox journalist’s attempt to score a “gotcha!” question was remarkably transparent. Doocy asked as follows:
‘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?’
Psaki replied with the following, dismantling Doocy’s nonsense:
‘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. But I would note first that former President Obama has been a huge advocate of individuals getting vaccinated. What CDC has provided guidance on is for indoor settings in high, or substantial high zones of COVID cases. This event, according to all the public reporting, is outdoors and in a moderate zone. But in addition, there are testing requirements and other steps they are taking, which I’m sure they can outline for you in more detail.’
Amazingly, Doocy subsequently basically reiterated the exact same question, asking if there is “concern that this President Obama birthday party might become a superspreader event.” Sure, Psaki literally just explained how yes, risks remain, but precautions are available to mitigate those risks, while necessary protections aren’t even the same in every area of the country — but Doocy was undeterred.
Psaki replied as follows:
‘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.’
Doocy wasn’t done. He subsequently asked whether everyday Americans might “think that it is okay for them to have a party with several hundred people now” since former President Obama is hosting such an event, but the premise of his question seems unrealistic. At least the majority of those whose stance on pandemic-related precautions might be swayed by one event probably already started doing whatever they wanted and probably don’t even care what the Obamas are doing at all, since it’s — generally speaking — right-wingers who have obsessed over going against pandemic-related safety precautions. Psaki reiterated that Americans should follow whatever guidelines apply to their situation.
Check out the exchange below:
Peter Doocy attempts to own the libs pic.twitter.com/Hd5FU3dkar
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 2, 2021
