Psaki Can’t Explain Why They’re Extending the Mask Mandate

BUCK: Here is Jen Psaki telling everybody that the mask mandate extension we talked about yesterday, Clay, it’s because of data.

CLAY: Aw.

BUCK: They just want to yank on America’s choke collar a little bit more, like we’re a canine getting into the petunias.

CLAY: That’s really specific.

BUCK: I’m just saying.

CLAY: (laughing) Are the petunias blooming yet? I wonder — and I don’t know if it got asked — how could…? First of all, credit for actually asking that question because there is no good defense. But how could you not ask the question, “Explain to me how the CDC can say, ‘We’re not in a covid crisis at the border, therefore Title 42 doesn’t exist anymore, but we are still in a covid crisis on airplanes, therefore you have to wear a mask?’

“Shouldn’t you favor citizens over noncitizens in terms of analyzing covid emergencies?” That’s a good question, right? That’s something that should be asked. I would love to hear the distinction between why the border is open now and covid’s not a risk there, but you and I and anybody else out there can’t get on an airplane and just fly without wearing a mask.

BUCK: And effectively, Clay, Title 42 is a CDC authority. Now, it’s not true to say, “It’s a CDC decision.” If the executive branch, if the White House put down a directive saying, “We’re ending it,” it’s ended, right? The CDC is not an independent of the executive branch entity. That’s not how it works. That said, though, the FAA is extending, because of CDC guidance, a mask mandate on planes ’cause they say, “It’s too scary.”

CLAY: Right.

BUCK: So how can you have one and not the other? We’re either safe or we’re not safe. It’s either not a problem or it is a problem. But they want to have it both ways — as they always do, which is why they want to control social media.

CLAY: And, by the way, I’m not saying that I think the border should be wide open. Just the dichotomy there between saying it’s safe at the southern border, it’s not safe for you to be on airplanes. Meanwhile, we know, based on people who are pretty well plugged in, every major airline CEO has requested that the mask mandate be taken away. We got a caller yesterday.

Airplane pilots have sued. Flight attendants have sued. Huge numbers of people out there who make their living on airplanes or managing airplane companies are all saying, “This is nonsensical; there’s no basis to support it any longer.”

BUCK: It is actually — I would argue it is a safety risk for people to be force masked on planes because we all know why there’s been a huge increase in violent incidents on planes. It’s because of the dumbass mask policies which make everyone agitated — and, you know, unless you’re an anxious weirdo, (mewling) “I’m scared of covid still,” even though the plane’s actually a safe place to be.

It’s because of people getting agitated. The whole airport experience, you gotta wear mask in the airport, go through security, the whole thing. You feel like cattle being herded into a pen the whole time, and you have to wear a mask for no damn good reason? That’s why people flip out and there have been punches thrown and issues. It is a safety risk to force people to mask on planes. That’s what the data supports.

CLAY: The data supports that. The data also supports that there are overwhelming amount of delays which is also increasing the overall stress level and anger. And I do think there’s just a dull… Remember Ghostbusters II, Buck, when the pink ooze is underneath the city and everybody’s just angry because when you came in contact with it? Remember that? You remember.

BUCK: Of course! Ghostbusters! I can quote it for you.

CLAY: We got a pink ooze issue, I think, in the entire country where people are just angry over things that make no sense that are being foisted upon them.

BUCK: Well, the pink ooze is flowing right now on Twitter.