Ex-Planned Parenthood head and CNN analyst urges Biden admin to tie vaccinations to Americans' 'freedoms'



CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen warned the Biden administration that they have a very "narrow window" for inoculating as many people as they can to COVID-19 as states begin lifting coronavirus restrictions, urging that messaging should tie vaccinations to Americans' "freedoms."

What are the details?

Wen, the former president of Planned Parenthood, joined CNN host Chris Cuomo during a March 10 interview and emphasized the importance of making it "clear" to anyone apprehensive about taking the vaccine "that the vaccine is the ticket to pre-pandemic life."

"The window to do that is really narrowing," Wen continued. "You were mentioning, Chris, about how all these states are reopening. They're reopening at 100%. And we have a very narrow window to tie reopening policy to vaccination status."

She explained:

"Because otherwise, if everything is reopened, then what's the carrot going to be? How are we going to incentivize people to actually get the vaccine? So that's why I think the CDC and the Biden administration needs to come out a lot bolder and say, 'If you are vaccinated, you can do all these things. Here are all these freedoms that you have.' Because otherwise, people are going to go out and enjoy these freedoms anyway.'"

Wen added, "I fear a situation of coming into the fall, where we never reach heard immunity, and then we get hit by the next surge of COVID-19...something that we could have prevented if we just got people vaccinated now."

Dr. Leana Wen on March 10: "The CDC and the Biden administration needs to come out a lot bolder and say 'If you are… https://t.co/fnt7I4Pklr
— Washington Examiner (@Washington Examiner)1617327106.0

The Biden administration has faced criticism from both the right and left for providing little incentive to those who are apprehensive about taking COVID-19 vaccines from doing so.

In February, conservative co-host of "The View" Meghan McCain called for the replacement of Dr. Anthony Fauci over his refusal to say that elderly Americans would be able to see their grandchildren in accordance with government guidance even after being fully vaccinated against the disease.

Following her own criticism of former President Donald Trump for his handling of the crisis, McCain went on to say, "We're in the Biden administration and I, for one, would like something to look forward to and to hope for. Because if getting the vaccine means that just nothing changes and we have to wait another few years until everyone gets it — there's already people not getting it and we're already having a messaging problem getting people to take this vaccine."

Anything else?

This week, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that she is "scared" and fears "impending doom" over the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases spiking in some states, but stressed that data "suggest that vaccinated people do not carry the virus."

Walensky urged the public to "just hold on a little longer, get vaccinated when you can, so that all of those people that we all love will still be here when this pandemic ends."

Former WH press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is now at Fox News



Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has signed a deal to be a contributor on Fox News, the outlet announced Tuesday.

What are the details?

During an interview on "The Faulkner Focus" with Harris Faulkner, the host announced, "It is my distinct pleasure today to welcome Kayleigh McEnany to the Fox family. We will be seeing much more of her in the future."

The news sparked McEnany's name trending on Twitter, but it was already anticipated.

The Associated Press noted:

It was reported in January that McEnany had disclosed to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics while still in office that she would work for Fox after leaving the White House. Fox said at the time that it had been in discussions with McEnany but had paused them.

Before working for Trump, McEnany was a commentator at CNN.

According to a report from The Daily Beast, not everyone at Fox is happy with their new co-worker being brought on board. An unnamed insider likened McEnany to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, fuming to the outlet:

"It's truly disgusting they fired hard-working journalists who did care about facts and news reporting only to turn around and hire a mini-Goebbels whose incessant lies from the White House helped incite an insurrection on our democracy that got five people killed, including a police officer. Post-Trump Fox is quickly becoming a very scary place and quite dangerous for our democracy. It's not even conservative news anymore. They've plunged into an alternate reality where extremist propaganda is the only course on the menu."

In her sit-down interview with Faulkner, McEnany recalled the "shock" and sadness felt by her and other White House staff on Jan. 6, after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.

McEnany notices difference in treatment by WH press corps

She also shared that she has noticed a difference in the way she was treated by the White House press corps compared to how the they treat her successor, President Joe Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki.

"I'll never forget watching one of the early press briefings where [Psaki] was asked about Antifa riots and I believe she said that she hadn't spoken to the president about that," McEnany recalled to Faulkner. "They let her move on, whereas if I would have been asked that about violence on the other side of the aisle… that wouldn't have been an answer that flew, nor should it have."

McEnany added, "I think the standards are different but the American people are smart, so wise, they see the difference."

However, McEnany said she has no ill feelings toward Psaki, personally.

"I wish her all the best," McEnany said. "I left her a note saying that much, we've met previously, one time, and she was very kind. So were some of her colleagues in the press shop."

Apparently, the feeling is mutual. Psaki extended kind regards to McEnany when asked about it during a media briefing on Tuesday. Psaki recalled chatting with McEnany when both were contributors on CNN, before adding, "I certainly wish her the best in her future endeavors."