WASHINGTON – White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended Comments from President Joe Biden Compare some Republican governors’ decision to lift mask mandates to “Neanderthal thinking”, which has been termed “a reflection of their frustration” with Americans who refuse to follow public health guidelines.
When asked whether it was productive to compare governors to Neanderthals while trying to convince state officials to join the White House public house embassy, Psaki clarified that the president made the decision with “behavior” Compare Neanderthals.
“A Neanderthal’s behavior, to be very clear, the behavior of,” she said, adding that it was a “reflection of his frustration and despair” about some people who broke the COVID-19 guidance to the Curb the spread of the virus.
“He believes that with more than half a million Americans lost and families continuing to suffer, it is imperative that people across the country, whether they live in a red or blue state, rely on the guidance of public health experts hear, “she said.
Psaki also stressed that the president had only asked Americans to wear a mask for the first 100 days of his term in office, noting that there were about 60 days left on that request. Thursday was the 44th day of Biden’s presidency.
Biden sparked GOP outrage after him called it a “big mistake” for states like Texas and Mississippi, to lift pandemic restrictions, including mask mandates, and describe them as the result of “Neanderthal thought”.
“We are on the verge of fundamentally changing the nature of this disease as we can get vaccines into people’s arms,” he told reporters Wednesday during a meeting with bipartisan lawmakers to fight cancer. “The last thing we need is the Neanderthal man who thinks everything will be fine in the meantime. Take off your mask and forget about it. It’s still important.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced earlier this week that he wants to “Open Texas 100%” and that an executive order will come into effect March 10th that will remove most of his previous orders, including business occupancy and business restrictions the state-wide mask ordinance of July 2nd. Mississippi governor Tate Reeves also announced that he will end mask requirements across the state.
According to Biden’s comments, Tate shot back in a tweet that the residents of his state would make their own choice as to how to protect themselves.
“Mississippians don’t need handlers. When the numbers go down, they can judge their decisions and listen to experts. I think I just think we should trust Americans, not offend them,” he tweeted.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said Fox Business To be called Neanderthals was actually a compliment because “They are resilient, they are resourceful. They tend to be their own.”
Blackburn said the president “needs to reconsider what he is saying about states beginning to move away from these masked mandates.”
Contributor: Maureen Groppe
