Trump’s WH Was A COVID Hot Zone. Biden WH Has Now Vaccinated Hundreds Of Staffers.

President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks on the COVID-19 pandemic at the Queen Theater on December 29, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Biden’s White House medical team has administered the coronavirus vaccine to several hundred staffers, according to an Axios report, detailing how the new administration is handling the rollout of vaccines in a complex that was riddled with clusters of new coronavirus infections in the final months of former President Trump’s tenure.

“Approximately three dozen incoming members of the senior staff, national security team and incoming cabinet nominees received their first dose in early January,” White House spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Axios.

He added that since then “the White House medical team has vaccinated several hundred additional staffers from the Executive Office of the President who are working on site every day.”

The news of the ramped-up vaccination program within the White House comes after Trump in December had opposed the vaccination of White House staff, saying in a no-longer-available tweet that “people working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary.”

Officials told Axios that the Biden administration is aiming to vaccinate all in-person staff over the next few weeks. The administration has also tightened protocols to curb the spread of coronavirus by requiring N95 masks at all times in the complex and daily COVID tests for White House employees.

Biden also told reporters on Monday that he hoped to speed up rollout of vaccines nationwide, envisioning 1.5 million vaccinations a day — a number that would exceed his pledge of 1 million doses minimum to be administered daily.

“I think with the grace of God . . . we’ll be able to get that to 1.5 million a day,” Biden said.

Latest News
72
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for bdtex bdtex says:

    Say that a little louder please.

  2. They still have weeks to build up the necessary immunities so don’t start taking off those masks early. We need y’all like you wouldn’t believe. Stay healthy, stay safe.

  3. Trump in December had opposed the vaccination of White House staff, saying in a no-longer-available tweet that “people working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary.”

    Just appalling–casually killing those around him. He probably thought he was immune, having had it once.

  4. I also read that a lot of tRump’s staff and just those in the White House came to believe that the virus was truly a hoax, so some of them bought the lie hook, line and sinker and refused to wear masks on their own without any direction from Hair Furor.

  5. Avatar for mrf mrf says:

    If the White House was a rancid coronavirus zone lord knows what everything else from the presidential limo to Mar a lago is like.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

66 more replies

Participants

Avatar for discobot Avatar for bdtex Avatar for ajm Avatar for playitagainrowlf Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for losamigos Avatar for skippyflipjack Avatar for drriddle Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for dickweed Avatar for mrf Avatar for mleinroth Avatar for edhedh Avatar for noonm Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for libthinker Avatar for godwit Avatar for bcgister Avatar for kenga Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for Volvo_Birkenstock Avatar for Scoutmom

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: