Republicans blasted President Joe Biden as a "hypocrite" for asserting there’s "no federal solution" for the COVID-19 pandemic, chiding his 2020 campaign pledge "to shut down the virus, not the country."
Biden’s new slant on tackling the pandemic came at the start of a call with governors Monday.
"Look, there is no federal solution," he said. "This gets solved at the state level."
"And then it ultimately gets down to where the rubber meets the road, and that’s where the patient is in need of help or preventing the need for help," he added.
The Republican National Committee swiftly fired back.
"Joe Biden claimed he would shut down the virus," the RNC tweeted Monday night. "Now a year later when he failed to do so, he says there is no federal solution to COVID. Joe Biden is a hypocrite."
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also fumed at Biden’s attitude change.
"When Joe Biden says ‘there is no federal solution,’ he's trying to avoid blame for his incompetence," Cotton tweeted. "If he really believes this, he should rescind his unconstitutional federal mandates."
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott agreed.
"He should immediately end his unconstitutional federal mandates," Abbott tweeted. "The Texas solution is no mandates and personal responsibility."
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Jan. 7 in cases challenging the vaccinate-or-test rule for large employers as well as the vaccination mandate for staff at healthcare providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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