‘Why do you need to have that information?’ White House REFUSES to reveal number of ‘breakthrough cases’ in Covid-infected staff

During a press conference on Friday, Psaki was questioned about the lack of details on the revelation this week that there have been “breakthrough cases” among White House staff members – namely, the exact number of cases. 

“I think, first, we’re in a very different place than we were six to seven months ago, as it relates to the virus,” Psaki said, adding that, despite more and more cases of vaccinated individuals getting infected, vaccination provides more protection from “serious illness” and typical symptoms associated with Covid-19. 

Asked if the White House is “hiding something” by not revealing to the public the number of infections, Psaki asked, “Why do you need to have that information?”

Told it was a case of “transparency,” she simply pointed to general information about “breakthrough cases” and Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations as a resource for more information. 

Critics pounced on Psaki’s defense of the lack of information, with many claiming there would have been a very different reaction from the media if a Donald Trump-era press secretary such as Kayleigh McEnany had questioned a reporter’s search for “transparency,” especially related to Covid cases in the White House. 

“Shocking that the self-described ‘most transparent administration in history’ even has to ask this dumb question,” Republican strategist Matt Whitlock tweeted. 

Psaki revealed earlier this week that there had been positive Covid-19 cases in the White House that have not been disclosed.

The results of a poll released by the Associated Press on Friday showed that the majority of unvaccinated respondents had little to no interest in changing their status, with 45% saying they had no plans to get vaccinated, and another 35% saying they would likely not be getting vaccinated in the future. 

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