As Twitchy reported earlier, Joe Biden lied last night about the COVID19 vaccines:
Biden says there was no vaccine when he came into office.
That is abjectly FALSE. President Trump brought about the fastest vaccine for a novel pathogen in history.
How does Joe get away with this? pic.twitter.com/OcFeVbQ3At
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) February 17, 2021
Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler was among the members of Biden’s “rapid response team” who mobilized to make excuses for the president.
It was a verbal stumble, a typical Biden gaffe, as he had already mentioned 50 million doses being available when he took office. Ex Trump officials should especially cool the outrage meter, as it just looks silly. https://t.co/HFjH01lXgH
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
It depends in part on whether he spoke correctly about vaccine availability elsewhere in the interview. People screw up on live television. Biden with his stutter especially does so.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
Understandably, a lot of people have come to the conclusion that on this particular matter — as on pretty much all matters — Kessler is completely full of it.
So, naturally, Kessler is making himself look like even more of a hack:
Here’s a guide for ex-Trump officials for how to tell whether a politician might be telling a deliberate lie or just had a verbal stumble. They were quick to declare Biden was a deliberate “liar” last night on vaccine development. So here we go…1/6
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
Biden said on CNN: “it’s one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn’t have when we came into office, but a vaccinator — how do you get the vaccine into someone’s arm?” Yep, that’s wrong. Sounds bad. But did he mean it?…
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
Recommended
A) Did he say something different elsewhere in the town hall? Yes, just minutes before: “We came into office, there was only 50 million doses that were available.” That’s a clue he knows the vaccine was created when he became president.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
B) Is it different than what he said before? Yes, 1/26: “We want to give credit to everyone involved in this vaccine effort and the prior administration and the science community and the medical sphere — for getting the program off the ground. And that credit is absolutely due.”
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
That’s another clue. So the odds are this is a flub, not a deliberate falsehood. He contradicts what he said just moments earlier and what he has said in the past. As fact checkers, we look for patterns and context ….
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
Glenn Kessler knows what’s in Joe Biden’s heart. That’s what being a Washington Post Fact Checker is all about!
I know it’s fun to snip a clip and act outraged on social media. But what’s more telling is if a politician over and over says the same falsehood, day after day, no matter how often he or she has been fact-checked. No going to mention any names, of course.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 17, 2021
Of course, Glenn. You’re a professional, after all.
— vanilla (@vanillakizmet) February 17, 2021
WaPo runs clean up duty
— Rohan Cassanova (@irishswamp) February 17, 2021
You mean like if say the Biden Administration over and over said the same falsehood, day after day, no matter how often they’ve been fact checked, that there was no vaccine plan in place when they assumed office? https://t.co/XF6PHxvg1s pic.twitter.com/Xsj6U8qGn5
— CJ Grover (@cj_grover) February 17, 2021
First rule of holes, stop digging.
Giving Biden context and cover you purposefully withheld from Trump is entirely transparent. https://t.co/lCF04Efzrs
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) February 17, 2021
How’s that for clarity, Glenn?
So either he’s a liar or his brain is pudding…got it
— JP (@ishouldnobetter) February 17, 2021