A clip of President Joe Biden urging people in Hurricane susceptible regions to get vaccinated against COVID-19 resurfaced Tuesday, prompting questions about the authenticity of the video.
The video of Biden was shared by conservative commentator Benny Johnson on Twitter with the caption: “Never forget when Joe Biden told Americans to prepare for Hurricane season by getting Vaccinated.”
The video has also been shared by a number of Republicans who suggested the comments were made yesterday as Hurricane Ian neared Florida. “Joe Biden just told everyone in the line of a hurricane to get vaccinated to avoid complications,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted on Tuesday.
HURRICANE IAN TRACKER UPDATE: LIVE COVERAGE AS POTENTIALLY DEADLY STORM COULD BECOME CATEGORY 5
However, the video in question is from Aug. 10, 2021, when Biden was receiving a briefing from FEMA officials, Homeland Security officials, and members of his COVID-19 response team about hurricane preparedness amid the pandemic at the White House.
“Let me be clear: If you’re in a state where hurricanes often strike, like Florida or the Gulf Coast or into Texas, a vital part of preparing for hurricane season is to get vaccinated now. Everything is more complicated if you’re not vaccinated and a hurricane or a natural disaster hits,” Biden said in the video.
Biden was touting a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” at the time, as the delta variant of COVID-19 was on the rise in the United States, and was pushing for widespread vaccination in conjunction with hurricane preparations.
The video resurfaced as Hurricane Ian is set to batter Florida, with the storm expected to make landfall on the state’s west coast Wednesday afternoon.
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The clip is authentic, and the president did urge citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of hurricane preparations. It was not specifically about Hurricane Ian but rather hurricane season in general.
