On CNN's Inside Politics Friday, host John King fretted about the new CDC guidelines with CNN journalists Dana Bash and Jeff Zeleny, that say vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most circumstances.
Apparently forgetting that Dr. Fauci was on Trump's COVID response team, King wondered to his guests if the new administration was "worried" about this "delicate moment:"
So you're the President of the United States and you have watched this during the Trump age where, yes, you had a different president, a different team, I would say inattention or ignorance to the threat of the pandemic. But you still have to be worried even as you tell Americans and even as he and the vice president walked in the White House grounds yesterday without masks, you have to be worried at this delicate moment. Don't you?
Bash agreed and thought it was strange that Biden, who had been "incredibly cautious," suddenly changed course:
Very worried, especially given how incredibly cautious this president and his team have been. Not only with how they are communicating all of these guidelines up until now, but even how they act, you know, personally. We know, we've watched the president be in situations like when he addressed Congress where he was in a place with largely vaccinated people, very careful to wear a mask.
She then declared that people, even vaccinated people, who want to continue to wear masks have good reasons.
And it is -- look, it's scary. It's very scary because as hard as it was for us all as a society to socialize to being distanced and being home, it's just as difficult, maybe even more difficult to come out of that for a lot of people.
If people are having trouble believing the science, that was Trump's fault, according to King:
"Well, the previous president was part of a political dynamic in the country which was don't tell me to wear a mask. Masks became a dividing line in our politics during the Trump presidency. He was part of it, without a doubt, because he didn't want to wear a mask," King lectured.
After playing a clip of Biden urging people to be considerate of those who still want to wear masks, Zeleny praised, "This is what Joe Biden won the presidency on. This is what sparked the beginning of his presidency and how this decision goes will determine what the remainder of his presidency is going to be."
He added, "It certainly sets the stage for the rest of his economic agenda which is built entirely on the inequities that really came to the fore because of this global pandemic."
He also declared "it's a bit of a risky move" and argued it resulted partly from Sen. Susan Collins engaging in "really aggressively questioning the CDC director, Dr. Walensky."
King concluded by touting Biden's poll numbers: "Nearly half of Republicans approve: 47%, six in ten independents approve, 96% of the Democrats approved. So, the president is riding high on this issue at the moment," he gushed.
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Here is a transcript of the May 14 show:
CNN
Inside Politics with John King
12:09 PM ET
JOHN KING: They believe they have this turning point. So you're the President of the United States and you have watched this during the Trump age where, yes, you had a different president, a different team. I would say inattention or ignorance to the threat of the pandemic. But you still have to be worried even as you tell Americans and even as he and the vice president walked in the White House grounds yesterday without masks, you have to be worried at this delicate moment. Don't you?
DANA BASH: Very worried, especially given how incredibly cautious this president and his team have been. Not only with how they are communicating all of these guidelines up until now, but even how they act, you know, personally. We know, we've watched the president be in situations like when he addressed Congress where he was in a place with largely vaccinated people, very careful to wear a mask. The vice president sitting behind him, very careful to wear a mask. And this is such a leap in terms of, again, not just guidance but also, you know, monitoring and mentoring, if you will, how people should be acting. And I feel like it's going to be a big change for them and as it is for everybody in America. And it is -- look, it's scary. It's very scary because as hard as it was for us all as a society to socialize to being distanced and being home, it's just as difficult, maybe even more difficult to come out of that for a lot of people.
KING: Well, the previous president was part of a political dynamic in the country which was don't tell me to wear a mask. Masks became a dividing line in our politics during the Trump presidency. He was part of it, without a doubt, because he didn't want to wear a mask. Now you have a president of the United States, listen here saying don't get mad at those who, even though the CDC now says if you’re fully vaccinated, especially if you’re outdoors, take it off. The president says don’t get mad at those who are reluctant to do so.BEGIN CLIP
JOE BIDEN: You know, some may say, just feel more comfortable continue to wear a mask, they may feel that way. So, if you’re someone with a mask, you see them, please treat them with kindness and respect we’ve had too much conflict, too much bitterness, too much anger, too much politicization about wearing masks. Let's put it to rest.END CLIP
KING: I'm going to guess that's wishful thinking. Let's put it to rest in the short term, anyway.
JEFF ZELENY: No question. This is already so steeped into just our psyches, and the reality is the rest of the country, large swaths as I travel around the country, they are ahead of the president on this. Ahead of the -- ahead of the White House on this. Many states, red and blue, largely red, have stopped wearing masks and other things. But when you take stock of this moment, it is a huge moment. This is what Joe Biden won the presidency on. This is what sparked the beginning of his presidency and how this decision goes will determine what the remainder of his presidency is going to be. It certainly sets the stage for the rest of his economic agenda which is built entirely on the inequities that really came to the fore because of this global pandemic. So I think it is not just taking off the masks, it is so much more than that. But it's a bit of a risky move. When I've been talking to White House officials, I said why did it come so fast? They've been cautious about everything, then suddenly yesterday afternoon and it surprised a lot of people. They did not- people at the White House did not expect when they walked in the building yesterday to be able to walk out not wearing masks. And they said finally the pressure was clear in those hearings on Capitol Hill, Senator Susan Collins really aggressively questioning the CDC director, Dr. Walensky. That was part of it, and it was also a sense of, you know, they have a lot of incoming on a lot of fronts. This was something they felt was time to do it. So, the science is there. But it was more than the science. It's clear they're leaning in for other reasons than just to get their agenda going forward as well.KING: Just some quick poll numbers on that point, “do you approve or disapprove how president Biden is handling the crisis.” Nearly half of Republicans approve: 47%, six in ten independents approve, 96% of the Democrats approved. So, the president is riding high on this issue at the moment. We shall see if the numbers, if they sustain themselves as we go forward.
