President Joe Biden has broken five coronavirus promises throughout his 2021 presidency.
1.) “A Year From Now” Life Will Be Normal
“By next Christmas, I think we’ll be in a very different circumstance… A year from now, I think there will be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced, have to wear masks, etc,” Biden said in February of 2021.
Fast forward to December 28, 2021, the omicron variant metastasized and become the dominant strain in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), causing Democrat-controlled cities to implement mask and vaccine mandates.
2.) “I’m Going to Shut Down the Virus”
Biden promised at least ten times during the 2020 campaign that he was going “to shut down the virus.”
But during Biden’s first 11 months in office, the delta and omicron variants reached American shores and caused more deaths under Biden than under Donald Trump’s presidency, despite vaccine availability.
Biden even accused Trump of failing to protect the nation from coronavirus deaths at the Democrat National Convention.
“Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation,” Biden said of Trump. “He’s failed to protect us. He’s failed to protect America. And my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.”
3.) “No — I Don’t Think It [Vaccines] Should Be Mandatory.”
Biden told the nation on December 4, 2020, that vaccines should not become mandatory. Biden’s administration also repeatedly said Biden would not mandate vaccines.
“No — I don’t think it should be mandatory. I wouldn’t demand it to be mandatory,” Biden said about the Chinese coronavirus vaccine. “But I will do everything in my power as President of the United States to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters.”
Yet Biden broke his word in September and mandated vaccines for employees working for a business with 100 employees or more.
Upon announcing his vaccine mandate, Biden accused the unvaccinated of costing “all of us.”
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. So, please, do the right thing,” he said. “But just don’t take it from me; listen to the voices of unvaccinated Americans who are lying in hospital beds, taking their final breaths, saying, ‘If only I had gotten vaccinated.’ ‘If only.'”
4.) “I’m Going to Ask the Public for 100 Days to Mask.”
Biden told the nation in December of 2020 he would ask Americans to wear a mask for 100 days. “Not forever, 100 days,” Biden reiterated.
But Biden continued to move the goalpost.
Biden had already stated in August of 2020 that “every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months.”
And again in November of 2021, Biden pleaded with Americans to “wear your mask when you are indoors.”
5.) I Will “Improve the Availability of Tests.”
Biden promised on February 17, 2021, to improve the availability of tests.” And on March 11, Biden said he would “continue to work on making at-home testing available.”
“We’re going to deploy things like testing to expand detection of the virus,” Biden again promised July 6.
But during an interview just before Christmas with ABC News’ David Muir, Biden admitted the omicron variant had exploited his inaction on developing test availability.
“If you go to the pharmacy, we hear this over and over again, empty shelves, no test kits. Is that a failure?” Muir asked Biden.
“I don’t think it’s a failure,” Biden replied. “I think it’s — you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago.”
“I wish I had thought about ordering 500 million at-home tests two months ago,” he admitted he had broken his promise.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.