Peter Doocy Spars With Jen Psaki Over ‘Xenophobic’ Travel Bans And Biden’s Maskless Shopping Trips
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy sparred with Press Secretary Jen Psaki during Monday’s briefing, asking pointed questions about newly implemented travel restrictions and President Joe Biden’s maskless jaunt to a Nantucket shop over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Doocy first asked about the news that first broke over the weekend that the United States, on Biden’s instructions, was halting inbound travel from several African nations following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
DOOCY TIME: “Before Joe Biden was president, he said that covid travel restrictions on foreign countries were ‘hysterical,’ ‘xenophobia,’ and ‘fearmongering.’ So, what changed?
Psaki demands Doocy “pull it in full context,” which was Biden condemning a Trump tweet, not the ban pic.twitter.com/vqOjVn007c
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 29, 2021
“Before Joe Biden was president, he said that COVID travel restrictions on foreign countries were ‘hysterical,’ ‘xenophobia,’ and ‘fearmongering.’ So, what changed?” Doocy asked.
Doocy was not the only one wondering about that, as Twitter exploded over the weekend with conservatives asking nearly identical questions.
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted, “When Trump imposed travel restrictions, Biden called him ‘xenophobic,‘” and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tweeted, “I see restricting travel over COVID is apparently no longer racist and ‘xenophobic.’ I wonder what changed.”
“I’m old enough to remember when restricting travel from other nations was racist and xenophobic,” Congresswoman Claudia Tenney added.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked about it on Monday’s broadcast of “Fox & Friends” as well, sharing video along with the caption, “Just last year Joe Biden and Kamala Harris called travel bans ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic.’ The hypocrisy here is amazing, but typical of this incompetent administration.”
Just last year Joe Biden and Kamala Harris called travel bans “racist” and “xenophobic.”
The hypocrisy here is amazing, but typical of this incompetent administration. pic.twitter.com/nqalT7mVkf
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) November 29, 2021
Psaki argued that Doocy’s question did not put Biden’s criticism in its “full context,” arguing that he had meant to condemn Trump’s tweet about the ban, not the travel ban itself.
Doocy moved on to his second question then, asking about a video of Biden shopping in Nantucket. The video showed the president inside a store without a face mask despite a sign on the door advising patrons that masks were required.
Doocy: “We saw the President shopping indoors on Saturday behind glass that says face coverings acquired, but his face was uncovered. Why?
Psaki: He “follows the recommendations and the advice of the CDC. I don’t know what the circumstances were of that particular moment.” pic.twitter.com/Hl10M7wazs
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 29, 2021
“We saw the President shopping indoors on Saturday behind glass that says face coverings acquired, but his face was uncovered. Why?” Doocy asked.
Psaki claimed that Biden “follows the recommendations and the advice of the CDC. I don’t know what the circumstances were of that particular moment.”
Doocy pressed again, pointing out the fact that there was a sign that said “face covering required,” adding, “we could see him inside and his face was uncovered.”
Doocy: “He was shopping in a store and on the glass outside, it said ‘face covering required’ & we could see him inside and his face was uncovered.”
Psaki: “Well, again, Peter, our recommendation and advice continues to be for people to wear masks when they are required…” pic.twitter.com/gDMNPJnxnv
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 29, 2021
“Well, again, Peter, our recommendation and advice continues to be for people to wear masks when they are required,” Psaki said.
“Is the concern that when the President says today, ‘please wear your mask indoors in public settings around other people,’ and he doesn’t do that, that it’s going to make it harder to get people to follow him?” Doocy continued to press.
Doocy: “Is the concern that when the President says today, ‘please wear your mask indoors in public settings around other people,’ and he doesn’t do that, that it’s going to make it harder to get people to follow him?”
Psaki says Biden wears them “to save” other people’s lives pic.twitter.com/aZWoxYUftP
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 29, 2021
Psaki argued that Biden wore masks in public settings — and would continue to do so — to help save other people’s lives.
The exchange concluded with a question from Doocy about the return to the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires applicants to wait in Mexico for their asylum claims to be processed, and Biden’s claims that it was antithetical to what America stands for. Psaki said that Biden still felt that way about the policy, but was forced to comply with a recent court ruling.
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