Biden to Lester Holt: Democratic Governors Ending Mask Mandates Are Being ‘Premature’
President Joe Biden told NBC’s Lester Holt that Democratic governors who have ended statewide mask mandates are being “premature.”
Biden sat for an exclusive interview with Holt on Thursday, which will air on Super Bowl Sunday. But in a portion that was released ahead of time, Holt asked about Democratic governors who are lifting mask mandates while CDC still recommends universal masking in schools.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has avoided criticizing the decisions in favor of pointing out that Republican governors are preventing local authorities from deciding for themselves, while Democrats simply leave it up to them.
While the president acknowledged it’s a “tough call,” he went further than Psaki and called the move by governors “premature”:
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 are wrong. The science is saying now that masks work, masks make a difference and there’s a relationship. I think there’s only one governor drawing back immediately. Most of them are somewhere in February. I mean, the end of February, March, April. They set a time limit and I assume it has something to do with 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 to wear masks.
HOLT: Do you acknowledge though a restlessness and leaders bowing to the political whims?
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% of the schools were open. Now 98% 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 seven, 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 is with these governors making these moves, does it begin to make the government, the CDC, irrelevant that people will gravitate toward, you know, the advice that really fits their worldview, 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. And, but it’s, you know, 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 that are needed, all the protection that is needed.
HOLT: Are you afraid that some states and cities are moving too quickly to loosen indoor mask mandates?
BIDEN: Well, you know, it’s, I’ve 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, you know, it’s a tough call.
Watch above via NBC News.
