Politico Reporter Daniel Lippman: Why Has Biden Not Focused More on 'Scolding the Unvaccinated?'

Politico White House reporter Daniel Lippman on Wednesday asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki why President Biden has not focused more on “scolding” unvaccinated Americans, despite the fact that he has done just that in recent months, warning that his “patience is wearing thin.”

“French President Emmanuel Macron said this week that he plans to hassle the unvaccinated to try to get them to get the shot. Since there are millions of Americans who have not been persuaded by, you know, the various government campaigns to get vaccinated,” Lippman began, asking why Biden has not “focused more on kind of scolding the unvaccinated to try to tell them, ‘Hey, this is not working for society and, you know, we keep getting these shutdowns?’”

Psaki responded by pointing to the number of Americans who have gotten the shot over the last year, as about 70 percent of the U.S. population is considered fully vaccinated, according to the press secretary.

“So, our objective has been to continue to convey to the American people the fact that getting vaccinated will help protect them from hospitalization, from death. It will help protect their loved ones. It will help protect their neighbors and their community,” she said, deeming that strategy a resounding success.

“Is there going to be any change in strategy in terms of messaging? You know, you guys have — had, like, the Jonas Brothers and others. But what are we — you know, Joe Rogan?” Lippman pressed.

“More Jonas Brothers,” Psaki responded — an obvious nod to the vaccine PSA TikTok the stars made with the president last month.

“You know, I would say, Daniel, that our approach to date has been that we have looked for trusted messengers. And some of them may have been people who supported President Biden, and many of them were not,” she continued, noting that the most trusted messengers appear to be “local officials, local leaders, [and] pediatricians.”

Despite Lippman’s assertion, Biden has not shied away from lecturing unvaccinated Americans. In a speech announcing his coercive Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) vaccine mandate in September, Biden essentially broke his unity pledge, warning that his “patience is wearing thin” with unvaccinated Americans.

“Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated,” he said, explaining that he understands the “anger at those who haven’t gotten vaccinated.”

“We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers,” he vowed in the divisive speech.

CNN has also promoted anger against unvaccinated Americans, featuring NYU professor of bioethics Arthur Caplan on Wednesday, who said it is time to “blame” and “shame” them.

“We can penalize them more. We can say you will have to pay more on your hospital bill. You can’t get life insurance or disability insurance at affordable rates if you aren’t vaccinated,” he declared.

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