Video From Jackson Event Shows Mask-Less COVID Exposed Harris, Casts Doubt on Psaki’s Defence of VP

After her communications director, Jamal Simmons, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris was deemed a close contact. As an individual who had been potentially exposed, but vaccinated and boosted, guidelines required her to “wear a mask for 10 days”.

A video from an outdoor event celebrating Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to SCOTUS, shared on President Joe Biden's Twitter account, appears to cast doubt on earlier remarks made by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in defence of Vice President Kamala Harris.

On Friday, Psaki defended Harris after the VP did not wear a mask when she hugged Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during a WH event celebrating her confirmation to the Supreme Court. Harris was deemed a close contact to COVID-19 this week after her communications director, Jamal Simmons, tested positive for the respiratory disease.

Existing guidelines require such an individual, if they have been vaccinated and boosted, as is the case with the VP, to “wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure".

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Vice President Kamala Harris, along with others, wore a face mask "before they went out" to the Rose Garden to attend the event in question.

“She was outside. You can benefit significantly being outside that's why we have we had the event outside today. I will tell you that the Vice President has been wearing a mask inside when there was a private group. They were all wearing masks", stated Psaki.

When Jen Psaki was asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about the embrace between Harris and Jackson, the WH press secretary quipped that the VP was “socially distanced for 99.9% of the event today, and she had an emotional moment, which is understandable".

Indeed, portions of the footage posted on the Twitter account of President Joe Biden show face masks being worn inside the White House. However. At one point in the video from the Oval Office, one can see Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and members of her family gathered around Joe Biden without face masks.

When Psaki was also reminded that Harris went without a mask while presiding over the Senate confirmation for Jackson on Thursday, she responded:

"She was playing an important role in confirming or overseeing the confirmation of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court". Harris was "socially distanced from people for the vast, vast majority of her time overseeing that confirmation yesterday", added Psaki.

Earlier in the week, Harris' communications director, Jamal Simmons, tested positive for COVID-19 after he attended a ceremony at the White House . He had reportedly been without a face mask when in close contact with Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama. Simmons has since been isolating at home.