Psaki takes a pass on WH mask mandate inconsistencies… because she’s ‘not a doctor’

It’s a safe bet to suggest that outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki will not miss Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy when she leaves the administration for a comfortable gig as MSNBC.

As he is known to do, Doocy called out the hypocrisy of many of the administration’s positions, the latest example being mask mandates.

On Monday, after a federal judge in Florida ruled against the Biden administration’s mandatory mask mandate for air travelers, concluding in a 59-page ruling that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask requirement “exceeded the CDC statutory authority,” Doocy asked Psaki about her reaction to the ruling only to be informed that he is not a doctor.

“You said about this mask ruling out of a federal court in Florida that it’s a ‘disappointing decision,’ and you say you continue to recommend that people wear masks. Why is it that we can sit here in the White House briefing room with no masks, but people can’t sit in an airplane cabin with no masks?” Doocy asked.

“Well, Peter, I’m not a doctor. You’re not a doctor — that I’m aware of. If you’re a doctor, I wasn’t aware of that today — until today,” Psaki replied.

Her comment resulted in a humorous exchange, as Doocy confirmed he wasn’t a doctor, prompting Psaki to say, “Okay, not a doctor. Just making sure. I don’t know… Nor does he play one on TV. There you go. Most days.”

She then launched into a word salad about there being different zones.

“But these determinations — remember the masking guidance is green, yellow, and red. We are currently in a green zone in Washington, D.C., so they’re not recommending it,” Psaki explained. “Some people can still wear a mask if they want to — many people do — or wear them in meetings or wear them at certain times where you’re going to be around or sitting close to people, or maybe you have an immunocompromised parent or — or friend. And so people make that decision.”

“And this is based on health considerations and data that the CDC looks at about transmissibility as — as we’ve seen an increase in cases on airplanes, she added.

Doocy then asked if President Biden would support airline passengers departing from an airport in a green zone not having to wear masks.

“There’s been long a difference from the beginning about people on an airplane and in federal transportation vehicles and situations than where they are in locations, like we here — here continue to be, in Washington, D.C., a green zone,” Psaki replied. “But what we had asked for — I think it’s important to remember — is a two-week extension — or not asked for — what we had announced was a two-week extension to look at the data and make recommendations based on the data and the science about whether it should be continued or not.”

As if two weeks would make much of a difference, and the nation saw what happened to the two weeks requested to “slow the curve.”

As for a doctor’s opinion, Dr. Nicole Saphier, a Fox News contributor, tweeted: “You do you. Wear a mask or don’t. Mandates are ending. And there is no science supporting bringing them back.”

Here’s a sampling of other responses to the story from Twitter:

Tom Tillison

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