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Conservative pundits say Biden and Democrats want more lockdowns. That’s not accurate
Date: 2021-08-13 09:55:39+00:00
By ['Amy Sherman', 'Amy Sherman Is A Staff Writer With Politifact Based In South Florida. She Was Part Of The Team That Launched Politifact Florida In', 'More Amy Sherman']
Some right-wing commentators are warning that the White House and Democrats around the country are plotting another round of stay-at-home orders and business closures, public-health measures that devastated the economy and divided the nation in 2020, even as they slowed the spread of COVID-19.
But they’re basing these claims largely on innuendo and conjecture rather than facts.
“White House chatter is that lockdowns for delta variant all but a done deal,” conservative commentator Jack Posobiec wrote on Twitter July 29. “Virtually all blue states are cooperating with WH/CDC. They’re aiming for late 2nd week of August, per WH official.”
A few days later, conservative host Dan Bongino said on his podcast, “they want to lock it down again. … The libs will never let coronavirus panic go.”
The claims from Bongino and Posobiec appeared to hinge on White House statements that the administration would listen to guidance from health officials in developing its response to the delta variant outbreak. A Fox News article on those statements was headlined: “White House won’t rule out future lockdowns, school closures if CDC says so.”
But in each case, the claims left out what the White House has affirmatively said on the matter: that it’s doing what it can to promote vaccination and mask-wearing in areas affected by the delta variant, to avoid the need for the lockdowns, shutdowns or school closures.
“We are not going back to that,” President Joe Biden said in a July 27 statement.
Since then, Biden has repeatedly spoken against lockdowns and instead emphasized vaccination to stem the rise of the delta variant. And we found no evidence for Posobiec’s claim that any such measures are being coordinated with, or advocated by, Democratic governors.
Biden has an incentive to avoid another round of lockdowns, which would imperil the country’s fragile economic recovery.
“Our economy has come a long way over the last six months,” Biden said in remarks in July about his legislative agenda, including for infrastructure. “We can’t slow down now.”
White House says it’s listening to experts, but against lockdowns
The Fox News report was based on a back and forth during a press briefing between reporter Peter Doocy and White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
Doocy: “So, President Biden says that we are not returning to lockdowns, shutdowns and school closures, but he also once said that we didn’t have to wear masks anymore once we were vaccinated. So why should Americans trust him now?”
Jean-Pierre: “We listen to the scientists; we listen to the expert(s).”
Doocy: “If scientists come to you at some point down the line and say, ‘It is our opinion that there should be shutdowns and there should be school closures,’ you would do that?”
Jean-Pierre replied: “We listen to the CDC” and expert guidance. She also said that Biden wants all schools to reopen.
Posobiec’s post, in which he called lockdowns “all but a done deal,” appeared that same day.
In response to the Fox News report, Jean-Pierre tweeted part of Biden’s July 27 statement against a return to lockdowns.
The next day, Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter whether there are “conversations in the White House, or between the White House and scientific advisers, about more lockdowns, partial lockdowns, or anything along those lines?”
The United States has the tools to fight the variant, she said, and “we are not going to head towards a lockdown.”
Bongino’s report cited a different White House statement. He played a clip of White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s Aug. 2 briefing when she was asked about the potential for more guidelines on COVID-19. Here’s what she said:
The president is keeping the option open of making sure that the CDC and our public health officials can make recommendations on what’s needed to keep the American people safe. I’m not in a position to preview that or to get ahead of any decisions they may make.
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