CNN Newsroom host Brooke Baldwin and alleged Republican strategist Ana Navarro were outraged on Monday that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was vaccinated against COVID-19. They argued that it was immoral that such a Trump-supporting science denier received the vaccine before those who were more at risk.
Coming out of a commercial break, Baldwin led off by explaining, "The list of frontline workers prioritized for a coronavirus vaccine includes lawmakers on Capitol Hill and among them Senator Marco Rubio."
Explaining that some vaccine doses were set aside for Congress and that therefore Rubio was not taking away vaccines from frontline workers or the elderly, should have ended the segment before it got started. Instead, however, Baldwin went on to nightlight a tweet from Rubio showing him getting the vaccine; but just in case viewers thought Rubio should be applauded for setting a good example and easing concerns, Baldwin declared, "Well, Rubio is not exactly a model of a science abiding citizen."
As evidence, Baldwin put up a picture of Rubio "speaking before a maskless rally for the Georgia Senate contest and the rally was such a health risk that our own correspondent, Kyung Lah, left because she didn’t want to risk the COVID exposure."
Baldwin then read a tweet from Navarro, suggesting that Rubio should not receive the vaccine because of his political views, "Young, healthy Senator, who spoke at rallies packed w/thousands w/o masks, who supports Trump -who’s down-played COVID & mocked those who wear masks, is 1st to get vaccine while most medical workers, elderly & infirm Americans, wait. Congratulations on ur privilege [@MarcoRubio]."
Navarro then joined Baldwin to discuss. Navarro initially claimed that, "I don't think they should include the senators, period," which she immediately contradicted, because instead of condemning a much younger, Democratic lawmaker in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) for also getting the vaccine as well. She then doubled down on Rubio having the wrong political opinions and pushed the debunked narrative that Trump called the virus a hoax:
Particularly listen, here’s something that gets stuck in my craw and other people's craw, at the idea of people who have been enabling Donald Trump downplaying the COVID virus, calling it a hoax, who have attended, spoken at, encouraged, promoted and participated in so many of his reckless rallies where people have been packed like sardines and have spoken at these rallies knowing people are there maskless, who have attended super-spreader events at the White House like we've seen, you know, so many people get infected with COVID at them, and then -- and then -- after they've been selfish, after they've been reckless, after they've been servile to Donald Trump, then they get to jump the lines and go in front of people who are at nursing homes, go in front of people who are risking their lives for ten months to keep others safe, like medical workers? They get to go in front of people who are on dialysis and who are on chemo? Give me a damn break. Give me a break. That is just so immoral"
This segment was sponsored by Carvana.
Here is a transcript of the December 21 show:
CNN
CNN Newsroom
2:48 PM ET
BROOKE BALDWIN: The list of frontline worker prioritized for a coronavirus vaccine includes lawmakers on Capitol Hill and among them Senator Marco Rubio. Rubio tweeted out a photo of himself getting vaccinated with this encouragement, quote “I'm so confident the COVID-19 vaccine is safety and effective, I decided to take it myself.” Setting a good example there, right? Well, Rubio is not exactly a model of a science abiding citizen. Let me show you another picture: this Rubio, this is just on November 11, speaking before a maskless rally for the Georgia Senate contest and the rally was such a health risk that our own correspondent, Kyung Lah, left because she didn’t want to risk the COVID exposure. Consider that rally and every other anti-science thing that Rubio has done, and our own Ana Navarro says she thinks he shouldn't go to the front of the vaccine line. The tweet is this “Young, healthy Senator, who spoke at rallies packed with thousands without masks, who supports Trump-who’s down-played COVID and mocked those who wear masks, is first go get vaccine while most medical workers, elderly, and infirm Americans, wait. Congratulations on your privilege” and Ana Navarro is with me now. So, I take it, you know the answer to this question of who should get the vaccine first is pretty obvious and that answer dose not include Marco Rubio.
ANA NAVARRO: I don't think they should include the senators, period. Particularly listen, here’s something that gets stuck in my craw and other people's craw, at the idea of people who have been enabling Donald Trump downplaying the COVID virus, calling it a hoax, who have attended, spoken at, encouraged, promoted and participated in so many of his reckless rallies where people have been packed like sardines and have spoken at these rallies knowing people are there maskless, who have attended super-spreader events at the White House like we've seen, you know, so many people get infected with COVID at them, and then -- and then -- after they've been selfish, after they've been reckless, after they've been servile to Donald Trump, then they get to jump the lines and go in front of people who are at nursing homes, go in front of people who are risking their lives for ten months to keep others safe, like medical workers? They get to go in front of people who are on dialysis and who are on chemo? Give me a damn break. Give me a break. That is just so immoral. Compare that or contrast that to Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican, mind you, a Republican, who said, I am not going to be getting this vaccine until the medical workers and the elderly in my state do. That is leadership. That is leadership. And that's what I would hope for, particularly from a senator who is 50 years old and healthy.
