White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and CNN’s Jake Tapper are trading jabs over whether the United States can get the COVID-19 pandemic under control.
During his appearance on “State of the Union” Meadows argued CNN is flip flopping on the network’s claim of how the coronavirus is spreading.
“Your website is talking about ‘well now we think the spread is coming from small social groups and family groups.’ First it was large groups, now it’s small groups,” Meadows said.
Tapper noted “it’s coming from all sorts of places” because the “pandemic is out of control.”
Meadows casted doubt over the nation’s ability to slow the spread.
“We’re not going to control the pandemic; we are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics, and other mitigations,” Meadows said.
Watch the exchange below:
Mark Meadows: “We’re not going to control the pandemic, we are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.”
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 25, 2020
Jake Tapper: “Why aren’t we going to get control of the pandemic?”
Meadows: “Because it is a contagious virus” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/1ahyatu6co
Tapper replied, “Why aren’t we going to get control of the pandemic?”
“Because it is a contagious virus,” Meadows said.
He stressed the federal government is making efforts to contain the spread.
Tapper pushed back and told Meadows Vice President Mike Pence is “running all over the country” and not wearing a mask.
Meadows reiterated it is important to have the proper mitigation factors including therapies, vaccines, and treatments.
He turned his attention to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s suggestion the nation is going to have a “dark winter.”
Tapper defended Biden, “That’s what health officials say.”
Meadows argued President Donald Trump is “leading” while Biden is suggesting there is going to be a mask mandate.
Tapper fired back, “The president is holding rallies all over the country. No masks required. No distancing. There have already been, according to health officials, contact tracing. There have already been cases of individuals in Minnesota, and in Washington D.C., and in Oklahoma that got the virus at these Trump rallies.”
Meadows stressed it is crucial to acquire a vaccine and other therapeutics to reassure Americans this virus is not a “death sentence.”