Peter Doocy seemed to come more prepared to corner Jen Psaki on a COVID/Fauci question. He failed once again. COVID is not a gotcha.
Welcome back, Doocy
These are serious times. People in the Red States or ideologically right-wing pockets continue to defy advice and stay unvaccinated. Yet, Doocy decided to ask a rather silly question that does nothing to encourage his audience to take the vaccine.
According to Politico:
Anthony Fauci on Sunday advocated for more mandates at the local level for businesses and schools to require Covid-19 vaccinations.
“I have been of this opinion, and I remain of that opinion, that I do believe at the local level, Jake, there should be more mandates,” Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” “There really should be. We’re talking about life-and-death situation. We have lost 600,000 Americans already.”
The nation’s top infectious disease expert noted the disparity between vaccination rates in GOP vs. Democratic-led states, with surveys showing Democrats are far more likely to be vaccinated. Republican lawmakers in nearly 40 states have also recently backed bills to restrict Covid-19 vaccine mandates or vaccine passports, which public health experts, such as Fauci, have said will make it harder to end the pandemic.
“There’s no reason not to get vaccinated. Why are we having red states and places in the South, that are very highly ideological in one way, not wanting to get vaccinations? Vaccinations have nothing to do with politics. It’s a public health issue,” he said
After Jen Psaki explained that Fauci talked about local mandates (though I believe national security national mandates are warranted), he asked the asinine question if she was implying that Americans should not listen to Fauci.
Psaki shook her head and said, Welcome Back to Peter Doocy. He had been away from the press room for a few days. She then reiterated the answer pointing out that Fauci’s statements were consistent with Biden’s policies.