One of the most basic rules of health care is that it is immoral to discriminate against someone for their political beliefs, but that didn't stop MSNBC Live host Stephanie Ruhle from entertaining the idea on her Thursday program that Texas and Mississippi could be punished for lifting their mask mandates.
Alluding to President Biden's "Neanderthal thinking" comments, Ruhle welcomed Obama-era CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, "someone who is definitely not a Neanderthal thinker." She shockingly wondered aloud: "Should they get access to, let's say, emergency federal help if they end up with a spike in cases or hospitalizations down the road?"
Ruhle raised the possibility that the feds punish Texas and Mississippi for their deviations from CDC guidelines. Here's the quote in full:
Tom, you know I always ask about money. When states like Texas and Mississippi that are in the bottom ten as far as vaccinations go, when they go against CDC guidance and open up, should they face consequences? Should they -- for example, should they get access to, let's say, emergency federal help if they end up with a spike in cases or hospitalizations down the road?
Of course, Texas just experienced a record-breaking winter storm that limited their ability to administer vaccines, but omitting details in Texas-related stories is not new for Ruhle.
Frieden responded, "This is always a challenge, Stephanie because ultimately it's not the government of Texas that's going to suffer, it's the people of Texas, and ultimately the federal government has responsibility to support everyone in the country."
He then caused Ruhle to burst out laughing when he further added:
The challenge is, and frankly I think it's an insult to Neanderthals, there is no defensible argument for stopping a mask mandate while we still have very high levels of spread. We know that masks work. We know that mask mandates work and we know that variants are a very real risk. We have explosive spread in Brazil, in a community that already had explosive spread once. So to suggest that it's not like something that's going to come through and be gone, it's possible that it comes back.
Frieden then contradicted himself about still having "very high levels of spread" by claiming "On the other hand we do really have a lot of good news, and bottom line hang in there. Vaccines are becoming more available. Vaccines are working. And we're seeing dramatic decreases in deaths, in nursing homes and elsewhere."
Concluding his answer Frieden struggled with the concept of a mandate, "So exactly as Tony Fauci says over the summer and into the fall we're going to get to a new normal but masks are going part of our lives for a while. It's a small thing to do that could save someone's life. Even with the vaccines this remains a potentially deadly disease."
This segment was sponsored by Verizon.
Here is a transcript for the March 4 show:
MSNBC
MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle
9:12 AM ET
STEPHANIE RUHLE: I want to dig deeper with someone who is definitely not a Neanderthal thinker, Dr. Tom Frieden, he served as director of the CDC, currently president and CEO of The Group Resolved to Save Lives. Tom, you know I always ask about money. When states like Texas and Mississippi that are in the bottom ten as far as vaccinations go, when they go against CDC guidance and open up, should they face consequences? Should they -- for example, should they get access to, let's say, emergency federal help if they end up with a spike in cases or hospitalizations down the road?
TOM FRIEDEN: This is always a challenge, Stephanie because ultimately it's not the government of Texas that's going to suffer, it's the people of Texas, and ultimately the federal government has responsibility to support everyone in the country, the challenge is, and frankly I think it's an insult to Neanderthals, there is no defensible argument for stopping a mask mandate while we still have very high levels of spread. We know that masks work. We know that mask mandates work and we know that variants are a very real risk. We have explosive spread in Brazil, in a community that already had explosive spread once. So to suggest that it's not like something that's going to come through and be gone, it's possible that it comes back. On the other hand we do really have a lot of good news, and bottom line hang in there. Vaccines are becoming more available. Vaccines are working. And we're seeing dramatic decreases in deaths, in nursing homes and elsewhere. So exactly as Tony Fauci says over the summer and into the fall we're going to get to a new normal but masks are going part of our lives for a while. It's a small thing to do that could save someone's life. Even with the vaccines this remains a potentially deadly disease.
