The office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced that its in-person dinner hosting with new Democratic members of Congress has been canceled after a viral tweet showing the tables being set up for the event sparked backlash amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pelosi deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill initially doubled down on how “safe” the event was supposed to be, tweeting,
The controversy began when NBC News correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell reported on Friday that Democratic and Republican leaders in the House are holding dinners for new members.
As states across the country continue to evaluate lockdown orders to prevent further spread of the disease, Pelosi’s event and assurance that her dinner will be “safe” sparked heavy criticism on social media.
“Imagine telling families not to hold Thanksgiving (we shouldn’t) and then doing this. Come. On,” New York Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones tweeted.
“Covid rules are for the little people,” radio host Buck Sexton said.
“Cancel your precious dinner, you maniacs. My god,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes demanded.
“Can a dumb decision be reversed by Twitter dunks alone? We’re about to find out,” Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly pondered.
“This is happening while Americans are told it will be against the law for them to have Thanksgiving with their families. Yet again, the political class is openly & publicly showing it doesn’t think the rules apply to them, thus helping destroy the trust needed to beat this virus,” Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy wrote.
“Please cancel these in-person dinners, @SpeakerPelosi & @kevinomccarthy to keep everyone safe from #covid19 – yourselves, your new members, servers, the Capitol police and all of their families and contacts. And, to show public health leadership,” Chelsea Clinton weighed in.
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