White House: Joe Biden ‘Not Trying to Scare People,’ Will Warn Unvaccinated Likely to Die

The White House on Monday previewed another speech from President Joe Biden scheduled for Tuesday that would warn unvaccinated Americans of the dangers they face without getting the coronavirus vaccine.

“For those who choose to remain unvaccinated, he’ll issue a stark warning and make clear,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, previewing the speech at the daily briefing. “Unvaccinated individuals will continue to drive hospitalizations and deaths.”

Psaki said Biden would “continue to convey the risks” posed by unvaccinated individuals, noting they were “14 times more likely to die from COVID.

“That is not trying to scare people,” she said. “Or maybe it is trying to make clear to the people in the country of the risks are here of not being vaccinated.”

When asked if Biden still believed that the coronavirus pandemic could be ended, she demurred.

“His objective continues to [be to] make vaccines available,” she said.

She stopped and corrected herself when she said that Biden’s goal was to “reduce cases,” in the United States, saying instead the president’s goal was to “reduce hospitalizations and deaths.”

Psaki said Biden would “restate” that vaccinated individuals could still get the Omicron variant of the virus, even though the president falsely stated last week that the vaccinated could not spread the virus.

She also emphasized their message would still be that fully vaccinated Americans had the tools to keep them safe from the virus, noting that their symptoms would be less severe and they wouls be less likely to die from the virus.

Psaki said Biden would not ultimately call for more lockdowns as the Omicron virus spreads across the United States.

“This is not a speech about locking the country down,” Psaki said.