BLUNT

Biden: Decision to Reopen Texas, Mississippi Is ‘Neanderthal Thinking’

“It’s critical, critical, critical that they follow the science,” the president told reporters.

President Joe Biden said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves are making a “big mistake” by fully reopening their states next week, months before most Americans will be vaccinated. The two GOP governors said on Tuesday that they plan to repeal their mask mandates and allow 100 percent capacity at indoor venues. “We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. “The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it.” Public health officials have warned that reopening too early could lead to a surge of new coronavirus cases.