Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that President Joe Biden left Tuesday’s Medal of Honor ceremony before the final prayer to protect people from exposure to COVID.
She also tried to defend his inconsistent mask use after first lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID on Monday.
Biden’s hasty departure Tuesday afternoon after honoring retired Army Captain Larry Taylor for his Vietnam War heroism drew criticism, as did the president’s decision to remain unmasked as he placed the medal around the neck of 81-year-old Taylor.
When asked if it was a “mistake” for Biden to remove his mask indoors, Jean-Pierre said the president removed his mask “to make incredibly strong remarks” and that he wanted to “honor the captain.”
And a short time after that he also didn’t have his mask on, as you just explained, and he left as planned, as planned, he left when there was a break in the program to allow the who were about to participate in the reception to a minimum,” Jean-Pierre said at Wednesday’s briefing.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that President Joe Biden left Tuesday’s Medal of Honor ceremony before final prayer to protect people from exposure to COVID
BYE BYE BIDEN: President Joe Biden left a Medal of Honor ceremony on Tuesday before final prayer, which Jean-Pierre said Wednesday was intentional to minimize COVID risk. But Biden also took off his mask to present the Medal of Honor and remained unmasked as he left
As Biden ducked before the final prayer, Taylor remained on stage.
The president did not put his mask back on when he left.
The event ended moments later.
When he addressed a group of trade union workers on Wednesday, the president also appeared unmasked.
He walked into the state dining room with a black mask in his hand.
“They keep telling me, because it has to be 10 days or something, that I have to keep wearing it,” Biden said. “But don’t tell them I didn’t have it on when I came in,” the president joked, gesturing to the press.
At the briefing, held ahead of the union event, Jean-Pierre insisted reporters “put all this into context.”
President Joe Biden (right), whose wife tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, places the Medal of Honor around the neck of 81-year-old retired Army Captain Larry Taylor, who saved four men during the Vietnam War thanks to his helicopter piloting heroics
And on Wednesday, President Joe Biden showed off the mask he wasn’t wearing when he appeared in the State Dining Room to briefly address union workers.
“I think the most important thing is that the president tested negative a few hours before this event. He tested negative yesterday, like I just said. He tested negative on Monday and negative today,” she said.
“He has no symptoms,” she continued. ‘And I think it’s important to also look at the context.’
“A short moment after that, yes, his mask wasn’t on and when the program paused for a second, he got out,” she said.
Jean-Pierre subtly addressed the criticism Biden received for leaving Taylor onstage, also noting that Biden “had a lot of time with the captain” ahead of their joint performance in the East Room.
And everyone was masked because he wanted to spend that quality, important time hearing this hero, hearing his stories and thanking him one on one, and also with his family around him, and so the president in every way yesterday the CDC guidelines followed,” she said. “And again, yes, he had his mask off for a second, and when there was a break, he walked out,” she added, reiterating her previous point.
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