Infighting Consumes Biden Coronavirus Missteps: White House Blames Rochelle Walensky for Mask Mandate

Senior officials for President Joe Biden’s administration blame Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky for demanding mask mandates, according to a report.

Walensky demanded last week that the Biden administration issue new mandates for fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors to help stop the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, according to “two senior officials familiar with the conversations” who spoke to Politico.

“Walensky insisted that doing nothing wasn’t an option,” Politico reported, noting both the CDC and the White House “privately expressed frustration with one another.”

Biden and his officials have repeatedly stated they will trust the science and federal health officials as their “North star,” but the report details some frustration with Walensky and the CDC.

The White House and the CDC also struggled with data surrounding the spread of the Delta variant, which culminated in angry reactions from White House staff against journalists and news outlets reporting on the CDC data.- READ MORE