On Wednesday, CNN’s “New Day” co-host Brianna Keilar along with CNN Capitol Hill Reporter Melanie Zanona called Republicans “dangerous” and “irresponsible” for supposedly attacking the CDC, mask mandates, and vaccinations.

Keilar said, “Republican lawmakers head back to their home districts for the August recess with the CDC in their crosshairs.”

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CNN: Republicans Pursuing An ‘Irresponsible And Risky Strategy’

“We have new CNN reporting that hammering the agency is part of the GOP’s midterm message, seizing on the backlash to new mask and vaccine mandates, casting the CDC as a political arm of the Biden administration,” Keilar continued.

Yesterday, CNN ran with one of their “Republicans are seizing” headlines – claiming, “Republicans are seizing on backlash to new mask and vaccine mandates”. The author of that article is Zanona.

She added, “This is dangerous, Melanie. And tell us what they’re doing.”

Melania Zanona agreed, saying “You’re right. But Republicans certainly feel like they have a potent political message, and that is turning the CDC and Dr. Anthony Fauci into a punching bag and really railing on these mask and vaccine mandates.”

Zanona continued, “And what the GOP is hoping to do is use some of the fears and frustrations of many Americans as cudgels against their Democratic opponents in the battle for the House.”

“And it was really telling that at a House GOP press conference right before the August recess, which the party usually uses to sort of get everyone on the same page and really craft their midterm message, Kevin McCarthy spent almost the entirety of his remarks bashing the CDC and new mask rules,” Zanona added.

She then continued to say that Republicans were being “irresponsible.”

“But regardless of whether or not this is a politically effective message, which I think is debatable, it’s certainly an irresponsible and risky strategy given that the Delta variant is surging, that pediatric hospitalizations are on the rise, kids are going back to school,” Zanona said.

Zanona’s comments almost directly quoted her article, which reads, “But turning the CDC into a punching bag — and villainizing scientists — is also an irresponsible and risky strategy, as the Delta variant continues to ravage communities with low vaccination rates and pediatric hospitalizations are on the rise, just as kids return to school.”

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Zanona: ‘We Likely Wouldn’t Be in This Position’

She added, “And Democrats also point out, look, we’re all frustrated and angry that we have to wear masks again.”

Pointing directly at the GOP, Zanona finished, “But we likely wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for some of the anti-vaccine sentiment that is being spread by many members of the Republican Party.”

Earlier this week, YouTube suspended Senator Rand Paul, a medical doctor, for arguing that cloth masks are “ineffective” against COVID. 

 

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