Biden on states lifting mask mandates: 'The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking'
While speaking to the press in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Biden said, “I think it’s a big mistake” when responding to a question about Mississippi and Texas lifting statewide mask mandates on Tuesday.
Video Transcript
- Message to Texas and Mississippi--
- All right, thanks guys.
- Texas and Mississippi.
- Thanks, guys.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Texas? I think it's a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody realized by now these maps make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease, because of the way in which we are able to get vaccines in people's arms. We've been able to move that all the way up to the end of May, to have enough for every American-- to get every adult American to get a shot. And the last thing, the last thing we need is the Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine. Take off your mask, forget it.
It still matters. I carry a card, and I have it. I put it on my desk. As of yesterday, we had lost 511,874 Americans. We're going to lose thousands more. This will not occur-- we'll not have everybody vaccinated until sometime in the summer. We have the vaccine to do it, but getting a shot in someone's arm and getting the second shot are going to take time. And it's critical, critical, critical, critical that they follow the science. Wash your hands-- hot water, do it frequently. Wear a mask, and stay socially distanced. And I know you all know that, I wish to heck some of our elected officials knew it. So thank you very much.
