White House defends unmasked Kamala Harris, internet responds
The White House issued a bizarre excuse for Kamala Harris being caught without a mask at an event.
At a press briefing Monday, a reporter called out White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki for saying that Harris was wearing a mask at the celebration of Ketanji Brown Jackson being nominated to the Supreme Court.
“You said on Friday that the vice president was masked indoors all day, but the White House tweeted a video showing her standing over the president without a mask on,” said the reporter. “Can you explain what happened there?”
“Well,” said Psaki, “I-I would say that the vice president and the president and all of us abide by what the CDC protocols are. It was an emotional day, it was a historic day, and there were moments when she was not wearing a mask inside, including in a photo. But she was wearing it 99.9% of the time.”
It is unclear why an emotional, historic day would justify Harris not wearing a mask when it would not be accepted from millions of Americans, and the internet has been asking that question.
“I was required to wear a mask at my mother’s funeral,” tweeted conservative influencer Sarah Beth Burwick. “I was permitted to lower my mask only while delivering the eulogy. But please, do go on about @VP’s emotional, historic day. #ByeDemocrats #TheWorst #howtheleftlostme.”
“But toddlers had to wear masks to preschool on their second birthdays,” she added.
“My mom dying alone from cancer in a hospital bed was also ~emotional~ but my family was still forced to follow Covid protocol. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” wrote conservative commentator Liz Willis.
“They made people die alone in hospitals and then prevented their families from holding a funeral service for them,” wrote another user.
“Guess all those weddings people had to cancel and funerals people couldn’t attend just weren’t emotional enough…” pointed out one.
Another: “It was actually an emotional and historic day for me when my dad died alone in a hospital two years ago today.”
Many users responded with sarcasm.
“So can I tell the flight attendants that it’s an emotional day for me the next time I get on a flight so I don’t have to wear a mask?” said one.
“Yeah Covid doesn't spread on historic days. Everyone knows that,” quipped a netizen.
“Everyone knows that Covid wouldn't infect a person in a historic and emotional day,” wrote another.
“Dear world: I'll be having an emotional day, a historic day every day from now on. That is all,” tweeted another user.
Last week, the White House also excused Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi for kissing each other on the cheeks while unmasked by saying that the CDC’s definition of “close contact” is at least 15 minutes.
