(PoliticalLookout.com)- Decisions made by Democrat governors like Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom to lock down their states during what could be President Donald Trump’s final months of being in the White House appears to have given Joe Biden a new chance to pretend he isn’t in favor of lockdowns.
The so-called president-elect, who has not yet won the election and may not win it if the president is successful in his lawsuits, said on Thursday that he would not lock down the country despite previously admitting that he would.
“I am not going to shut down the economy, period,” Biden said in response to a question from ABC’s Kristen Walker.
Walker, who was also the moderator in the second and final debate between President Trump and Joe Biden, referenced Biden’s claim in August that he would “follow the science” and shut down the economy. Which he did say. Watch:
Joe Biden wants the economy shutdown and you and your family locked down.
“I would shut it down.” – Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/hLf5dL2D2j
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 31, 2020
But in response to Walker on Thursday, Biden said he wouldn’.t
“I am not going to shut down the economy, period. I’m going to shut down the virus. I’ll say it again. No national shut down. No. National. Shutdown,” he said.
Which, frankly, could mean a lot of things. And his next sentence appeared to indicate that he isn’t opposed to allowing individual states to shut down instead.
“Because every region, every area, every community can be different,” he said. “And so there’s no circumstance which I can see that would require a total national shutdown. I think that would be counterproductive.”
Biden did not criticize Democrat governors who this month also decided to plunge their states into lockdown. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer took the bold move to implement a new lockdown after the state’s Supreme Court told her she had already abused her powers, and California Governor Gavin Newsom also ordered residents to stay at home for 30 days.
In Minnesota, residents now face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 if they socialize with people who do not live in their home, whether indoors or outdoors.
In Minnesota, you now face 90 days in jail or a $1000 fine if you socialize (speak or hang out with) someone who does not live in your home.
Whether inside your home or anywhere else, including outdoors.
If you “threaten to do so anyway”, you face a $25,000 fine. pic.twitter.com/aVKzduFOGj
— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) November 19, 2020
Threatening to do this would also result in a $25,000 fine.
Does it matter whether Biden implements a lockdown nationally or not when so many governors are intent on doing it themselves?