‘The Butt of Jokes’: Democrat-Allied Experts Turn on Joe Biden’s Coronavirus Response

Democrat-allied experts have begun to turn on the Biden administration’s shaky coronavirus response, dubbing it a “credibility crisis” and “the butt of jokes.”

While then-candidate Biden promised over ten times in 2020 to shut the virus down, the omicron variant has reportedly continued to set records, threatening Biden’s credibility.

“The administration in general has lost the confidence of people who would be their natural supporters,” Biden administration advisory board member Celine Gounder told Axios, speaking about the rise of omicron and the ensuing infighting between the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Former CDC Director Tom Frieden also told Axios the Biden administration’s wavering health guidelines and shifting messaging tactics is the “butt of jokes.”

“It’s never good to be the butt of jokes,” the expert said.

George Washington University professor and CNN commentator Leana Wen also acknowledged “the CDC is facing a real crisis of trust” and pointed to Biden’s CDC Director Rochelle Walensky for poor crisis communication skills.

“The primary problem is the policy and how insular Walensky has been in setting it,” Wen said. “She and the others are great communicators but no one can communicate a bad policy.”

Biden’s CDC director apparently has acknowledged she needs help communicating the ever-shifting health guidelines to the nation and has hired a “prominent Democratic media consultant Mandy Grunwald to improve her communication skills,” CNN reported.

The experts’ opinions on Biden’s effort to shut down the virus come as Biden’s CDC has continually altered health guidelines over the course of the year.

In May, the CDC said it was safe to not wear masks indoors but later reversed the opinion months later.

In February, the CDC advised that schools could reopen without fully vaccinated teachers. But the White House said that guidance given by Walensky was only in her “personal capacity.”

In December, the CDC revised quarantine guidelines from five days to five without rapid testing to ensure infections were no longer present. Walensky later changed her mind and advised people should be tested for coronavirus after five days, if they can find a test.

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