Fox’s Howard Kurtz Defends AOC from Ilhan Omar’s Attack on Politicians Jumping Covid Vaccine Line
Fox News host Howard Kurtz defended Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) decision to take the Covid-19 vaccine offered to members of Congress.
“I just think it’s cheap politics to say members of Congress shouldn’t get the vaccine now, because protecting our nation’s leaders is also a top priority,” Kurtz said, adding that he was troubled by “media partisanship” on the issue, including MSNBC’s Joy Reid asking Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday why Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) should be allowed to receive the vaccine when he enabled “bad behavior on Covid.”
Members of Congress have been taking the vaccine this week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved lawmakers to the front of the line to receive it.
Ocasio-Cortez published video of her taking the vaccine on Instagram on Saturday, but some lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), have been critical of their colleagues for receiving it if they do not have a reason to fear the complications that may arise from Covid-19.
“It’s now clear that we don’t have enough vaccines for everyone and there is shortage of supply, we have to prioritize those who need it most,” Omar wrote in a Sunday message on Twitter that was seen as a critique of Ocasio-Cortez. “That’s why it’s disturbing to see members be 1st to get vaccine while most frontline workers, elderly and infirm in our districts, wait.”
Omar’s father, Nur Omad Mohamed, died in June after contracting the virus.
Kurtz noted Ocasio-Cortez “got a puff piece in Elle Magazine about her vaccination,” but said it made sense for her to take the vaccine.
“She makes the case it wasn’t her decision,” Kurtz said. “The decision was made to set these doses aside for the 535 members of Congress, and if she didn’t take it, it would go into storage. I think it’s easy to pander on this issue.”
Watch above via Fox News.
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