On Monday's Deadline: White House, MSNBC regulars gave a strong impression that they are so filled with contempt for Republican leaders that they get angry about seeing them do anything, and will criticize them no matter what they do in response to the pandemic.
MSNBC host and disgruntled ex-Republican Nicolle Wallace reacted to news that Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham were among those who already got the COVID-19 vaccine, suggesting they did not deserve it so soon because they have been "jerks" in reacting to the pandemic.
She even falsely claimed that they had opposed mask-wearing even though all three have advocated wearing masks.
The segment began with a clip of Senator Rubio appearing at a rally last month to campaign for the Republican candidates for Senate in Georgia and joking about taking off his mask for the speech, drawing laughter from the crowd: "I'm going to take the mask off because I'm not going to be 15 minutes long, but you want me to wear a mask because I work with 99 strange people from all across the country, so --"
In spite of pro-vaccination advocates calling for public figures to be vaccinated publicly, Wallace reacted negatively as she recalled several Republican members of Congress who just got vaccinated, showing images of them on screen:
Marco Rubio there last month indoors at a rally for the Georgia Senate runoff elections there making light of mask wearing. Rubio is one of the many Republicans who have downplayed the severity of the pandemic since March, but despite their insistence that mask-wearing wasn't necessary, many of those same Republicans seemed to jump at the chance to get the vaccine themselves. Rubio along with Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell were some of the first people to receive the limited quantity of the vaccine over the last few days, before front line essential workers.
All it takes is a simple Google search to find that all three Senators advocated mask-wearing last summer. Senator Rubio did so via Twitter in both June and July, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell also advocated mask-wearing in both June and July. Senator Graham also advocated mask-wearing in July.
Edwards -- an MSNBC contributor and leftist Democratic former member of Congress from Maryland -- admitted to being "of mixed mind" about seeing the Republicans being vaccinated, suggesting they didn't deserve it: "I'm of mixed mind. If I were just deciding tor myself, I probably wouldn't give them the vaccine. But, really, for continuity of government purposes, I think it's important for every member of Congress to be vaccinated."
After admitting that it was probably the right thing for them to do, she then griped about Rubio joking with the audience: "I also think it is important for them to demonstrate even if they're late comers the importance of taking the vaccine and also the importance of continuing to wear mask wearing and not joke about it. This is no joke."
Wallace and MSNBC contributor Elise Jordan then both admitted that they were annoyed at seeing the Republicans being vaccinated even though it was probably the right thing to do. Here's Wallace:
I think Donna put it so perfectly, but the problem is, they've been such jerks, so it makes it feel wrong. Marco Rubio is now to me the embodiment of Republican cheesiness and hypocrisy -- both on the pandemic and on civility and conduct and language, if you will. What do you make of (audio gap) people have who have been dismissive of the public safety measures and who really haven't been rushing into the towers, if you will, to save either their constituents or the country when it comes to the economic pain people are suffering getting bumped to the front of the line for vaccines?
Jordan then chimed in:
You know, I'm with you, Nicolle and Donna, too. In my heart, I am so annoyed, and I just find it absolutely galling that elected officials who have been among the greatest super-spreaders and who have been flaunting social distancing forays and who have not been wearing masks that they get to head to the front of the line. But, in terms of practicality, I do understand why members of Congress should be vaccinated.
After she concluded by complaining that Republicans had been "obnoxious about the pandemic," Wallace jumped back in to flip things around and fretted that President Donald Trump might not agree to be vaccinated publicly:
I mean, you know, what helps President-elect Biden the most, Donna, in terms of getting to maximum vaccination levels in this country to protect all Americans, would be if Donald Trump rolled up his sleeve and were vaccinated on television. There's reporting that there are no plans for him to do so. Do you think he will get vaccinated and do so publicly, Donna?
This episode of Deadline; White House was sponsored in part by Norton Anti-Virus. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC
Deadline: White House
December 21, 2020
4:52 p.m. Eastern
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): I'm going to take the mask off because I'm not going to be 15 minutes long, but you want me to wear a mask because I work with 99 strange people from all across the country, so --
NICOLLE WALLACE: Marco Rubio there last month indoors at a rally for the Georgia Senate runoff elections there making light of mask wearing. Rubio is one of the many Republicans who have downplayed the severity of the pandemic since March, but despite their insistence that mask-wearing wasn't necessary, many of those same Republicans seemed to jump at the chance to get the vaccine themselves.
Rubio along with Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell were some of the first people to receive the limited quantity of the vaccine over the last few days, before front line essential workers. Let's bring into our conversation Elise Jordan -- MSNBC political analyst, Time magazine contributor, and a former aide to the George W. Bush White House and State Department -- and former Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards, contributing columnist to the Washington Post and an MSNBC contributor. Donna, what do you think?
DONNA EDWARDS, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I'm of mixed mind. If I were just deciding tor myself, I probably wouldn't give them the vaccine. But, really, for continuity of government purposes, I think it's important for every member of Congress to be vaccinated. We're going to go into a year, at the beginning of the year, where important decisions need to be made, choosing the Speaker of the House, making sure that we have a full complement in the Senate after those runoff elections in Georgia, and then, of course, getting down to legislation in advance of Joe Biden taking the oath of office.
I also think it is important for them to demonstrate even if they're late comers the importance of taking the vaccine and also the importance of continuing to wear mask wearing and not joke about it. This is no joke. People are dying. And we need to make sure that we get all of our front-line workers vaccinated. I'm really worried about whether we're going to have enough vaccine in enough time to make sure that we're fully vaccinated across the country.
WALLACE: You know, Elise, I think Donna put it so perfectly, but the problem is, they've been such jerks, so it makes it feel wrong. Marco Rubio is now to me the embodiment of Republican cheesiness and hypocrisy -- both on the pandemic and on civility and conduct and language, if you will. What do you make of (audio gap) people have who have been dismissive of the public safety measures and who really haven't been rushing into the towers, if you will, to save either their constituents or the country when it comes to the economic pain people are suffering getting bumped to the front of the line for vaccines?
ELISE JORDAN, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I'm with you, Nicolle and Donna, too. In my heart, I am so annoyed, and I just find it absolutely galling that elected officials who have been among the greatest super-spreaders and who have been flaunting social distancing forays and who have not been wearing masks that they get to head to the front of the line. But, in terms of practicality, I do understand why members of Congress should be vaccinated.
That said, at least they are not being purveyors of misinformation about the vaccine, and, by getting the vaccine, are demonstrating that they will put their money where their mouth is when it comes to the vaccine, and they aren't going to be spreading misinformation about taking the vaccine. So I guess that's just, you know, the small -- the small bit of benefit from these Senators who -- and Congressmen who've gone out of their way to be obnoxious about the pandemic getting the vaccine early.
WALLACE: Yeah, I mean, you know, what helps President-elect Biden the most, Donna, in terms of getting to maximum vaccination levels in this country to protect all Americans, would be if Donald Trump rolled up his sleeve and were vaccinated on television. There's reporting that there are no plans for him to do so. Do you think he will get vaccinated and do so publicly, Donna?
