- White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday did not show much sympathy for teachers expressing concern about their safety direction during school opening as the coronavirus outbreak continues in many areas of the country.
- When asked about teachers struggling by Fox News’ Shannon Bream, McEnany compared them to “meat packers.”
- “Look, we believe teachers are essential workers,” McEnany said. “The media never stopped working during this pandemic. Our meat packers did not stop working during this pandemic. Our law enforcement did not stop working during this pandemic – and neither should our teachers, because the children of America must come first. . “
- Bream also asked McEnany whether President Donald Trump could promise whether the country “has the capacity to test children before they go back to school.”
- McEnany did not answer that part of the question, saying only “our tests are being passed on to vulnerable communities, our nursing homes, that should be the priority.”
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White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not offer much sympathy to American teachers about her health and that of her students, comparing them to “meat packers” who have to go back to work “because the children of America must come first. “
“Look, we believe teachers are essential workers,” McEnany said during a Fox News appearance on Thursday. “The media never stopped working during this pandemic. Our meat packers did not stop working during this pandemic. Our law enforcement did not stop working during this pandemic – and neither should our teachers, because the children of America must come first. . “
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2020
Meat-packing plants saw some of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus pandemic in the US, with the narrow quarters and poor air circulation leading to a much more viral spread than most workplaces.
McEnany was also asked by Fox News host Shannon Bream whether President Donald Trump could promise whether the country “has the capacity to test children before they go back to school.”
The press secretary did not answer the question, and only went so far as to say “our tests are being passed on to vulnerable communities, our nursing homes, that should be the priority.”
McEnany provided a caveat regarding teachers with pre-existing circumstances as well as other factors that would make them more vulnerable to a serious COVID-19 case.
“The president has made it clear that if you are in a vulnerable community and you are a teacher, do not go back at all. [to work], “she said.
“But those who can go back should. And we need to protect our children, and that means they will be back to school.”
