Doctors slam Psaki for mocking idea of mailing free at-home COVID tests to all ...

Doctors slam Psaki for mocking idea of mailing free at-home COVID tests to all ...
Doctors slam Psaki for mocking idea of mailing free at-home COVID tests to all ...

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has found herself on the receiving end of an avalanche of furious tweets from medical professionals and researchers, who panned her for deriding the idea of mailing free at-home COVID tests to every American. 

On Monday, the hashtag #PsakiBomb lit up on Twitter, after the Biden administration mouthpiece had a tense exchange with NPR reporter Mara Liasson.

Liasson inquired of Psaki why the US was lagging behind other countries, including Germany, the UK and South Korea, in offering at-home COVID tests free of charge, or for a nominal fee, to all Americans.  

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was widely panned on Twitter after mocking the notion of sending every American at-home COVID tests for free

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was widely panned on Twitter after mocking the notion of sending every American at-home COVID tests for free 

NPR's Mara Liasson (center) asked why the US was lagging behind other countries in offering at-home COVID tests free of charge

NPR's Mara Liasson (center) asked why the US was lagging behind other countries in offering at-home COVID tests free of charge

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS ROOM EXCHANGE:

And I have one quick question on testing. Last week, obviously, the President explained some ramp-up in testing, but there are still a lot of countries, like Germany and the UK and South Korea, that basically have massive testing, free of charge or for a nominal fee. Why can’t that be done in the United States?

PSAKI: Well, I would say, first, you know, we have eight tests that have been approved by the FDA here. We see that as the gold standard. Whether or not all of those tests would meet that standard is a question for the scientists and medical experts, but I don’t suspect they would.

Our objective is to continue to increase accessibility and decrease costs. And if you look at what we’ve done over the course of time, we’ve quadrupled the size of our testing plan, we’ve cut the cost significantly over the past few months, and this effort to push — to ensure — ensures you’re able to get your tests refunded means 150 million Americans will be able to get free tests.

Q That’s kind of complicated though. Why not just make them free and give them out to — and have them available everywhere?

PSAKI: Should we just send one to every American?

Q Maybe. I’m just asking you — there are other countries —

PSAKI: Then what — then what happens if you — if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?

Q I don’t know. All I know is that other countries seem to be making them available for — in greater quantities, for less money.

PSAKI: Well, I think we share the same objective, which is to make them less expensive and more accessible. Right?

Every country is going to do that differently. And I was just noting that, again, our tests go through the FDA approval process. That’s not the same process that — it doesn’t work that way in every single country. But what we’re working to do here

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