Supposedly doing the work of the American taxpayers as a PBS correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor used Friday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force daily briefing to try and cancel U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams for urging racial minorities to, along with following CDC coronavirus guidelines, avoid the use of alcohol and drugs for the well-being of “your abuela,” “granddaddy,” “big mama,” and “pop-pop.”
Adams spoke at the start of the briefing on the disturbing reality of the pandemic disproportionately affecting minorities. Here was part of what Adams (an African-American himself) said (click “expand”):
[W]e are actively working as the Vice President and the CDC Director laid out today, data collection, targeted to reaching communities of color, and increasing financial, employment, housing and social supports so everybody has an equal chance to be healthy. And I want close by saying that while your state and local health departments and those of us in public service are working day and night to help stop the spread of covid-19 and protect you regardless of your color, creed or geography, I need you to know you are not helpless, and it's even more important that in communities of color, we adhere to the task force guidelines to slow the spread. Stay at home if possible. If you must go out, maintain six feet of distance between you and everyone else and wear a mask if you are going to be within six feet of others. Wash your hands more often than you ever dreamed possible.
Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs and call your friends and family, check in on your mother, she wants to hear from you right now and speaking of mothers, we need you to do this, if not for yourself, then for your abuela, do it for your grand-daddy, do it for your big momma, do it for your pop-pop. We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, to stop the spread and protect those who are most vulnerable. This epidemic is a tragedy but it will be all the more tragic if we fail to recognize and address disproportionate pact of covid-19 and other array of diseases and risk factors on communities of color. The task force and the administration are determined to not let that happen. The President, the Vice President has said we will not let that happen. We can't fix these issues overnight, but I promise you we will work with your communities to quickly and meaningfully move the needle in the right direction. Nothing less than the fate of our families and friends, my family and friends, depends on it.
So, after Alcindor wanted to know from Trump about why there was not a specific plan at the onset for people of color, she asked Adams with a separate question.
Instead of asking him a real question, the far-left activist reporter decided to take aim not at the virus or keeping Americans safe, but how Adams’s choice of words had supposedly triggered a social media firestorm:
You said that African-Americans and Latinos should avoid alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. You also said do it for abuela, do it for big mama and pop-pop. There are some people already --- there are some people online that are already offended by that language and the idea that you’re saying behaviors might be leading to these high death rates. Could you talk about whether or not people --- could you --- I guess, have a response for people who might be offended by the language that you used?
Adams chose to engage and stated without hesitation that not only was it the kind of “language” he’s used when meeting with minority groups like the NAACP, but also “the language that is used in my family.”
He added “that was not meant to be offensive” and instead purposefully so as to reach minority communities where they are.
Instead of moving on, Alcindor kept going, but Adams wouldn’t budge (click “expand”):
ADAMS: [W]e need to continue to target our outreach to those communities….[W]hen I talked to the NAACP three weeks ago, it’s important to note that one of the things they asked me was can you help dispel the myth in this community that people can't get coronavirus if they’re black. That was a myth that was out there that was actually very important for us to squash here.
ALCINDOR: So, you recommend that all Americans avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drug use at this time?
ADAMS: Absolutely an especially important for people who are at risk and with comorbidities but yes, all Americans. So, thank you, I will clarify that. All Americans need to avoid these substances at all times. I put out a smoking cessation report in January. I put out an advisory against use and pregnant women using marijuana last year and that was not directed toward any one race. That’s everybody needs to do everything they can to be as healthy as possible at this critical time.
Both Adams and Trump then invited Dr. Tony Fauci to the podium to offer support and he insisted that his pep talk was done “beautifully.”
Fauci also swatted down Alcindor’s nonsense: “I can’t do it any better than that and I --- I know Jerome personally and I can just testify that he made no --- not even a hint of being offensive at all with that comment. I don't think that was inappropriate.”
To see the relevant transcript from April 10’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing
April 10, 2020
2:55 p.m. EasternYAMICHE ALCINDOR: Can I ask you also about the African-American disparities?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, sure.
ALCINDOR: A question for you and then a question for the surgeon general?
TRUMP: Sure.
ALCINDOR: For you, Mr. President, we know that these health disparities have existed for a long time among African-Americans, Latinos, and other people of color. Why didn’t the administration possibly have a plan directed at those communities prevent high death rates knowing that the disparities were there.
TRUMP: Well, we do have a plan and one of the things I was most proud about is one of the things I've been able to do for the African-American community. Lowest job numbers in the history of our country ---
ALCINDOR: I’m saying for the virus, of course.
TRUMP: --- this was just before the virus. Well, I’m just saying cause, you know, it's been here for three weeks, right? So, just before, African-American community had the lowest unemployment, the best employment numbers, more African America people and communities have been thriving. You look at our opportunities zones and what we did, Tim Scott who’s fantastic, a fantastic senator came to me, opportunity zones, more jobs for African-Americans than ever before, better health care than they’ve ever had before, all of these things, the surgeon general spoke to it and he spoke to it, I thought, really brilliantly. I found it very interesting in what he said and I’d love you to come up and answer the second part of her question cause you’re --- you would do a much better job than I would. Please.
ALCINDOR: Thank you, Mr. Surgeon General.
TRUMP: Thank you. Thank you very much.
ALCINDOR: Thank you. I have a quick question for you. You --- you said that African-Americans and Latinos should avoid alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. You also said do it for abuela, do it for big mama and pop-pop. There are some people already ---
SURGEON GENERAL DR. JEROME ADAMS: And granddaddy too.
ALCINDOR: --- there are some people online that are already offended by that language and the idea that you’re saying behaviors might be leading to these high death rates. Could you talk about whether or not people --- could you --- I guess, have a response for people who might be offended by the language that you used?
ADAMS: Well, I use that language because I've been meeting with the NAACP, with the National Medical Association, with others. I actually talked with Derek Johnson multiple times this week, the head of the NAACP and we need targeted outreach to the African-American community and I use the language that is used in my family. I have a Puerto Rican brother-in-law. I call my granddad, granddaddy. I have relatives who call their --- their grandparents big mama. So that was not meant to be offensive. That's the language that we use and that I use and we need to continue to target our outreach to those communities. It is critically important that they understand it's not just about them and I was very clear about that. It's not just about what you do, but you also are not helpless. We need to do our part at the federal level, we need people to do their parts at the state level and we need everyone, black, brown, white, whatever color you are, to follow the president's guidelines, the coronavirus guidelines and do their part of because when I talked to the NAACP three weeks ago, it’s important to note that one of the things they asked me was can you help dispel the myth in this community that people can't get coronavirus if they’re black. That was a myth that was out there that was actually very important for us to squash here.
ALCINDOR: So, you recommend that all Americans avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drug use at this time?
ADAMS: Absolutely an especially important for people who are at risk and with comorbidities but yes, all Americans. So, thank you, I will clarify that. All Americans need to avoid these substances at all times. I put out a smoking cessation report in January. I put out an advisory against use and pregnant women using marijuana last year and that was not directed toward any one race. That’s everybody needs to do everything they can to be as healthy as possible at this critical time. Dr. Fauci, would you add anything?
DR. TONY FAUCI: Yeah, I think you said it perfectly, Jerome. Thank you.
TRUMP: Would you like to add anything to it? Cause you are really --- you’re --- you expressed it very beautifully before.
FAUCI: No, I mean, I --- Jerome, you did it beautifully. I can’t do it any better than that and I --- I know Jerome personally and I can just testify that he made no --- not even a hint of being offensive at all with that comment. I don't think that was inappropriate. Thanks.
TRUMP: And I can tell you Jerome has done a fantastic job, our surgeon general. I just hope nobody steals him and he goes to one of these big companies for a fortune. Don't leave us, right? Don't leave us, Jerome. Please.
ADAMS: Happy to serve the people, sir.
TRUMP: He’s doing a great --- and you are happy and you're doing a great job and everybody’s --- and everybody tells me that too, so we appreciate it.
