In the first excerpts of their Super Bowl Sunday interview shared on Thursday’s NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt whined to President Biden about blue-state governors “getting ahead of the federal government, the CDC” and lifting their mask mandates before the order came down from on high. Holt said the quiet part out loud when he shared his concern that Americans will get the idea that “this [pandemic] feels like it's over.”
Of the interview topics shared on the newscast (which also touched on Ukraine and inflation), the pandemic was the focal point. And Holt’s first question was designed to get Biden to rebuke the Democratic governors lifting mask mandates:
Mr. President, in recent days we've seen numerous governors from blue states roll back indoor mask requirements, essentially getting ahead of the federal government, the CDC. Are those governors wrong?
It's worth noting that Holt conducted the interview maskless.
Biden defended the governors by noting most of them weren’t lifting them right away, but rather they set a time frame.
At one point, Holt seemed to refer to Americans collectively getting fed up with having their lives put on hold or destroyed by unelected bureaucrats and politicians as just “the political winds”:
HOLT: Do you acknowledge though, a restlessness and leaders bowing to the political winds?
BIDEN: Oh, I do. Omicron and the variant, all the variants have had a profound impact on the psyche of the American people.
After asking Biden if children should be forced to wear masks in schools, Holt shared his fear that people will start to think the pandemic is over since the restrictions will be lifted.
“But the CDC hasn't changed its guidance on that,” he said. “And the question with these governors making these moves, does it begin to make the government, the CDC irrelevant, that people will gravitate toward the advice that really fits their world view, that this thing feels like it's over?”
Holt’s apparent final question on the topic was him again pressing Biden to say lifting the restrictions was wrong. “Are you afraid, though, that some states and cities are moving too quickly to loosen indoor mask mandates,” he wanted to know.
As NewsBusters has reported, NBC (particularly NBC Nightly News under Holt) has been obsessed with what we call “despair porn.” That’s where they push these destructive and harmful lockdowns, mandates, and other restrictions then gawk and act shocked by how destructive and harmful the policies are.
On previous shows, Holt and Co. would decry Republican governors lifting restrictions or tout Democrats re-imposing restrictions but then turn around and feign concern for the spike in child suicides, long lines at food banks, and the other forms of economic hardship they caused.
In December 2020, when many restaurants in California were shut down or struggling, NBCUniversal set up a catering site for a TV production in the parking lot of one such restaurant with special permission from the liberal government in Los Angeles. And then they deceptively edited the owner’s emotional video reacting to the hypocrisy.
Lester Holt’s apparent desire for permanent masking was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships on Liberty Mutual and Wayfair. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
February 10, 2022
7:02:30 p.m. Eastern(…)
LESTER HOLT: Mr. President, in recent days we've seen numerous governors from blue states roll back indoor mask requirements, essentially getting ahead of the federal government, the CDC. Are those governors wrong?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Well, it's hard to say whether they're wrong. Here is -- the science is saying now that masks work. Masks make a difference. And there is a relationship. I think there is only one governor drawing back immediately. And most of them are somewhere in February – I mean, the end of February, March, April, set a time limit. And I assume it has something to do whether the Omicron variant continues to dive, fewer and fewer cases.
And – Because there is a relationship between the number of cases you have in your community and the need for wearing masks.
HOLT: Do you acknowledge though, a restlessness and leaders bowing to the political winds?
BIDEN: Oh, I do. Omicron and the variant, all the variants have had a profound impact on the psyche of the American people.
HOLT: Should children be required to wear masks in schools?
BIDEN: Well, look. When I got in office, only 46 percent of the schools were open. Now 98 percent of them are open and they're wearing masks.
What's happening is every day that goes by, children are more protected. We're now on the verge of being able to have shots for children under the age of 7 and young children. And so, the more protection they have, probably you're going to see less and less requirement to have the masks.
HOLT: But the CDC hasn't changed its guidance on that. And the question with these governors making these moves, does it begin to make the government, the CDC irrelevant, that people will gravitate toward the advice that really fits their world view, that this thing feels like it's over?
BIDEN: Well, look. I think it's one thing to say -- to talk about masks other than talk about shots and boosters and the like. But it's -- no, look, it is confusing. It's worrisome to people. They're trying to figure out. But what I've tried to do, I've tried to make sure we have all the vaccines needed, all the boosters needed, all the masks needed, all the protection that's needed.
HOLT: Are you afraid, though, that some states and cities are moving too quickly to loosen indoor mask mandates?
BIDEN: Well, you know, it's -- I committed that I would follow the science, the science as put forward by the CDC and the federal people. And I think it's probably premature, but it's a tough call.
(…)
