With word breaking late Monday that First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID, the liberal media went into a full-blown panic, reminding the public how they’re still hooked on panicking over the virus and obsessed with any and all boosters, regardless of their actual effectiveness.
Along with nearly 17 minutes (16:52) on the flagship morning and evening shows of ABC, CBS, and NBC, Tuesday’s White House press briefing were dominated by COVID.
In the briefing, ABC correspondent and chief Biden apple polisher Mary Bruce led off the questions to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan by wondering: “Given what we know about how COVID works. I understand the President is negative now, but are you planning for any contingencies in case he does Test positive in the coming days or during the trip? Could he attend any of these meetings virtually? Are you thinking ahead to that?”
Bruce had a full host of follow-ups to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (click “expand”):
So, just a couple more logistical questions. Are these PCR tests that the President is taking?
(....)
And just reiterate again to us, what is the current COVID protocol for anyone meeting with the President, senior staff, those who meet with him everyday, brief him, are you all still testing?
(....)
And just a broader COVID question, we recently did an interview with Dr. Deborah Birx and she said that Americans leaders are living in a fantasy world amid this latest COVID surge. She said that next month’s vaccine booster is coming way too late. What’s your response to that assessment, which she shares with — with some other experts as well and are you confident that you are as prepared as you can be and that this booster is going to — to work?
(....)
And just one more. Jake noted, you know, obviously you have some experience on attending summits virtually if need be, but when you look ahead to what the next week looks like and could look like, are you actually thinking logistically through this should the President, you know, were he to test positive halfway there or halfway through the summit?
Always one to ask COVID questions, Bruce’s colleague Karen Travers had another one later in the briefing: “So, when should we expect the next test update from you? You said the CDC is saying not every day, but he’s doing it based on doctor’s recommendations. Would he get tested tomorrow and again on Thursday before leaving?”
Hours earlier on Tuesday’s Good Morning America, fellow ABCer Selina Wang boasted that the First Lady’s case “comes amid a major surge of COVID infections across the country.”
The Associated Press was also on the COVID bandwagon with Colleen Long in the AP seat at the briefing:
The — the — the COVID protocols for the President. Is he going to test every day before he gets on the plane? Does he have to mask up when he’s in India? I think there are not — I think the protocols for the G-20 are that they’re really not any, so I wondered sort of what’s going to happen going forward with the President while we’re watching?
After Jean-Pierre said Biden would be “test[ed] on a regular cadence, determined by his physicians” and “the CDC does not recommend testing every day” but they do call for masking, Long eagerly wondered if she could define “regular cadence.”
Reuters’s Trevor Hunnicutt lobbed two more, including him fretting that the “spike” in cases could pose “concern” that the new boosters are “coming a little bit too late in terms of the — the immunization that is in the population now.”
Following more from USA Today’s Joey Garrison and then NBC’s Kristen Welker, CBS’s Christina Ruffini had a lengthy back-and-forth (after Jean-Pierre had one about more salient topics such as President Biden’s age with Fox’s Peter Doocy). Here was a portion of that (click “expand”):
RUFFINI: Given recent events, is there any plans to alter the Vice President’s schedule and pivot her, since she’s already in Asia, to have her in place in case the President is not able to go?
JEAN-PIERRE: I just — I just don’t have any details or updates to share on travel.
RUFFINI: And to follow up on my colleague’s question, my colleague’s question, and my colleague’s question —
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
RUFFINI: — can you explain why you can’t share or won’t share the cadence of the President’s testing with us? It seems like a pretty —
JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, yeah, I —
RUFFINI: — basic question.
JEAN-PIERRE: — it has — it has nothing to not share the cadence. We — I just shared with you: Yesterday, he took — he took a test, and it was negative. Today, he took a test, and it was negative. The CDC does not recommend testing every day after close contact.
(....)
RUFFINI: Would it be safe to —
JEAN-PIERRE: And I’m telling you right now —
RUFFINI: — assume he’s going to test in the mornings and the evenings going forward?
JEAN-PIERRE: — I — it is up to the physician and in close consultation with the physician. CDC — the guidon- — the guidance from CDC recommends that the — or says it does not have to test — someone with a close contact does not have to test ev- — every — regularly or every day[.]
(....)
RUFFINI: I was just wondering if we could have an explanation as to why you don’t want to share — I’m —
JEAN-PIERRE: — I just explained it. I literally just explained it. CDC does not —
RUFFINI: — obviously, I didn’t understand because I’m asking.
JEAN-PIERRE: — no, CDC recommends — CDC recommends that testing — does not recommend testing every day. That’s something that CDC — we’re following CDC guidance.
On Tuesday’s CBS Mornings, co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King was crestfallen: “We certainly do [wish her well], but it’s a good reminder COVID is still around.”
King spent Wednesday showing viewers how she’s still stuck in March 2020 and even joked she’ll “try not to trample little children to get mine” because she’s so excited (click “expand”):
KING: Nationwide, hospitals, as you’ve heard, are seeing double-digit percentage increases in infections. So we’re very curious about that.
(....)
KING [TO DR. MEGAN RANNEY]: Do you have any concerns about the First Lady’s health or the risk to the President at this time based on what you know and what you’ve seen so far?(....)
RANNEY: People who are age 60 plus should get it, people who are pregnant should get it because you are also higher risk, and getting the booster protects not just you but also your baby. And then folks who are immunosuppressed, getting treatment for cancer or for Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis, those folks should also go get the booster. For the rest of us, talk to your doctor. It may well be something you choose to get. And, again, for most of us, it’s going to be available between one week and three weeks from now, depending on how quickly they roll it out after that expected approval on the 12th.
KING: Well, you don't have to tell me twice. I’m going to try not to trample little children to get mine. I can't wait to get it. Thank you very much, Dr. Megan Ranney. I wanna live!
To see the relevant transcript from the September 5 briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing [via ABC News Live subfeed]
September 5, 2023
1:34 p.m. EasternMARY BRUCE: Given what we know about how COVID works. I understand the President is negative now, but are you planning for any contingencies in case he does Test positive in the coming days or during the trip? Could he attend any of these meetings virtually? Are you thinking ahead to that?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I’ll let Karine speak to COVID planning here at the White House as it’s beyond my ken [sic] — But of course, we have long experience now from the early days of the administration In managing for situations in which COVID plays a role in summits and you know, we’ve seen various leaders at various times participate virtually in events. But in terms of specific contingency planning here from the White House, Karine can speak to that.
(....)
2:09 p.m. Eastern
COLLEEN LONG: The — the — the COVID protocols for the President. Is he going to test every day before he gets on the plane? Does he have to mask up when he’s in India? I think there are not — I think the protocols for the G-20 are that they’re really not any, so I wondered sort of what’s going to happen going forward with the President while we’re watching?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can tell you is that the President is certainly going to test on a regular cadence, determined by his physician. Of course, all travelers — all travelers, including the President, will test before traveling to India. So, that is certainly something that the President will do. As I mentioned, the CDC’s — following CDC guidelines — the CDC does not recommend testing every day after a close contact. That is their recommendation. Again, we are going to follow the CDC guidelines. They recommend a combination of things, as I mentioned at the top, which is masking, testing and monitoring for symptoms. He has no symptoms. So — and so, we’re going to continue to follow those guidelines, have those — he’s going to have those close consultation with his physician and that’s all I can share at this time.
LONG: Can you be more specific about what regular cadence means?
(....)
2:10 p.m. Eastern
MARY BRUCE: So, just a couple more logistical questions. Are these PCR tests that the President is taking?
JEAN-PIERRE: That is something that the physician decides, I just don’t have that information.
BRUCE: And just reiterate again to us, what is the current COVID protocol for anyone meeting with the President, senior staff, those who meet with him everyday, brief him, are you all still testing?
(....)
2:11 p.m. Eastern
BRUCE: And just a broader COVID question, we recently did an interview with Dr. Deborah Birx and she said that Americans leaders are living in a fantasy world amid this latest COVID surge. She said that next month’s vaccine booster is coming way too late. What’s your response to that assessment, which she shares with — with some other experts as well and are you confident that you are as prepared as you can be and that this booster is going to — to work?
(....)
2:13 p.m. Eastern
BRUCE: And just one more. Jake noted, you know, obviously you have some experience on attending summits virtually if need be, but when you look ahead to what the next week looks like and could look like, are you actually thinking logistically through this should the President, you know, were he to test positive halfway there or halfway through the summit?
(....)
2:14 p.m. Eastern
HUNNICUTT: On COVID just to follow on that, is there — is there — the — the President did have a bit of a cough yesterday during his speech. I’m just wondering if he had any other symptoms or if there’s any concern around that?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, no other — no symptoms at all that I can — that’s related, that would be related to this — to — to this — this current conversation that we are having.
HUNNICUTT: Ok. And then you mentioned the mid-September vaccines and I’m just wondering, is this spike of kind of incidents that are happening, is there any concern that is coming a little bit too late in terms of the — the immunization that is in the population now?
(....)
2:16 p.m. Eastern
JOEY GARRISON: If President Biden does test positive for COVID in the coming days, we can assume he’s not going to travel to India, right?
(....)
2:16 p.m. Eastern
KAREN TRAVERS: So, when should we expect the next test update from you? You said the CDC is saying not every day, but he’s doing it based on doctor’s recommendations. Would he get tested tomorrow and again on Thursday before leaving?
(....)
2:19 p.m. Eastern
KRISTEN WELKER: One quick one on COVID. When the boosters are available, can we expect the President and the First Lady will get them? Will they do that publicly as they have in the past?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, I can’t speak to a schedule, but yes, you can expect that both of them will get their updated vaccines, like all Americans who are eligible should do so.
(....)
(....)
2:27 p.m. Eastern
CHRISTINA RUFFINI: Given recent events, is there any plans to alter the Vice President’s schedule and pivot her, since she’s already in Asia, to have her in place in case the President is not able to go?
JEAN-PIERRE: I just — I just don’t have any details or updates to share on travel.
RUFFINI: And to follow up on my colleague’s question, my colleague’s question, and my colleague’s question —
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
RUFFINI: — can you explain why you can’t share or won’t share the cadence of the President’s testing with us? It seems like a pretty —
JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, yeah, I —
RUFFINI: — basic question.
JEAN-PIERRE: — it has — it has nothing to not share the cadence. We — I just shared with you: Yesterday, he took — he took a test, and it was negative. Today, he took a test, and it was negative. The CDC does not recommend testing every day after close contact. That is not my — I —
RUFFINI: Right, but since you’re —
JEAN-PIERRE: — I’m — I’m —
RUFFINI: — telling us he tested — you — I’m just saying you’re — I’m just trying to apply logic here. You told us the times he tested previously, so it would be helpful if we know going forward.
JEAN-PIERRE: — because it already happened, my friend. It already happened.
RUFFINI: I —
JEAN-PIERRE: It already happened, right?
RUFFINI: — I understand. I understand.
JEAN-PIERRE: Right? Right?
RUFFINI: But —
JEAN-PIERRE: So, therefore, I can tell you that he took the test because it already happened, right?
RUFFINI: Would it be safe to —
JEAN-PIERRE: And I’m telling you right now —
RUFFINI: — assume he’s going to test in the mornings and the evenings going forward?
JEAN-PIERRE: — I — it is up to the physician and in close consultation with the physician. CDC — the guidon- — the guidance from CDC recommends that the — or says it does not have to test — someone with a close contact does not have to test ev- — every — regularly or every day, so that is the c- —
RUFFINI: No, I get that, but —
JEAN-PIERRE: — okay. Well, then there should be —
RUFFINI: — not everybody is the President.
JEAN-PIERRE: — there should be — there should be no confusion. We just explained that he tested — I just explained he tested yesterday. He tested —
RUFFINI: No, there’s no confusion. I was just wondering if we could have an explanation as to why you don’t want to share — I’m —
JEAN-PIERRE: — I just explained it. I literally just explained it. CDC does not —
RUFFINI: — obviously, I didn’t understand because I’m asking.
JEAN-PIERRE: — no, CDC recommends — CDC recommends that testing — does not recommend testing every day. That’s something that CDC — we’re following CDC guidance.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just answer her question.
JEAN-PIERRE: I just did. In close consultation —
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You —
JEAN-PIERRE: — with the physician. That’s what’s going to happen. The physician is going to decide when the testing is going to happen. That’s it. That’s the answer. I don’t have anything else for you. That is the answer that I’m giving you: in close consultation with his physician. The CDC does not recommend testing every day. That’s it.
