Press Secretary of the White House Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiOn The Money: Senate votes to accept COVID-19 relief project | Stocks sink after Powell fails to appease nervous traders | February jobs report provides first measure of Biden’s economy Biden canceled the second military target in Syria minutes before the strike: White House report says Shalanda Young could serve as acting director of OMB MORE on Thursday defended President biden
State Department-appointed Joe BidenTrump arrested in connection with the Capitol FireEye riot finds evidence that Chinese hackers have exploited the flaw in Microsoft’s email application since January. Biden officials traveled to the border amid the influx of young migrants. MOST calling the decision of two Republican governors to suspend the masks’ mandates as “Neanderthal thinking” after some conservatives took offense at the criticism.
“I think the president, what everyone saw yesterday, was a reflection of his frustration and exasperation, which I think many Americans have, that for almost a year now people across the country have been sacrificing themselves, they often have no information that they need the federal government, “Psaki told reporters at a news conference.
“They didn’t have access to a greater understanding of what public health guidelines should look like, and that includes many people in Mississippi and Texas, Ohio, Florida, in every state in the country,” she added.
Psaki said Biden compared the decisions to suspend the masks’ mandates and allow most companies to operate at full capacity to the behavior of a Neanderthal, and did not single out any individuals. She added that Biden will continue to work with governors on both sides in responding to the pandemic.
Biden on Wednesday expressed his disappointment at the decision by Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi to suspend masking mandates in their states, which undermines pressure from the White House to mask themselves in the first 100 days of the new government.
“We are about to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way we are able to put vaccines in people’s arms,” said Biden. “We managed to move that up until the end of May to have enough for every American to have – every adult American to have a chance. And the last thing – the last thing we need is a Neanderthal thinking that, in the meantime, it’s okay, take the mask. “
The comments provoked reaction from some conservatives who disagreed with Biden’s choice of words.
“Mississippi people don’t need manipulators. As the numbers drop, they can assess their choices and listen to experts. I think we should just trust Americans, not insult them,” tweeted Mississippi Governor Tate Reeve (R).
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Marsha BlackburnRepublicans criticize Pentagon political candidate because of tweets, nuclear deal with Iran White House defends Biden’s comment on ‘Neanderthal thinking’ about masks Marsha Blackburn: Biden needs to ‘rethink’ comments about ‘tough’ and ‘ingenious’ Neanderthals MOST (R-Tenn.) He suggested at Fox Business that the reference to Neanderthals was actually a term of endearment because “they are tough, they are resourceful, they take care of their own”.
And Kayleigh McEnany, who served as press secretary at Trump’s White House, linked Biden’s comments to those of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillary Clinton brings ‘Freedom Fries’ to mock ‘cancel culture’ Edie Falco to play Hillary Clinton in the Clinton impeachment series. when she said in 2016 that half of Trump’s supporters could be put in a “deplorable basket”.
Mississippi and Texas this week suspended mask mandates and other restrictions on the coronavirus, citing the decline in the number of cases and hospitalizations. But health experts have warned that this could reverse progress in the fight against the pandemic, especially with the spread of more contagious variants.