President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would be issuing guidance for reopening group religious ceremonies. He followed up the announcement by calling on all governors to reopen churches, synagogues, and mosques immediately.
With large in-person gatherings one of the largest culprits for the spread of the virus that's upended daily life in the United States and killed over 95 thousand Americans, people inevitably wondered if it was safe for congregations to reconvene.
That's the question reporters asked the latest White House press secretary Kayleigh Mcenany, and her response led to a tense exchange.
Watch below.
After reporters pressed McEnany on whether reopening churches was safe, she said:
"Boy it's interesting to be in a room that desperately wants to seem to see these houses of worship & churches stay closed."
That's when Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason responded:
"Kayleigh, I object to that. I go to church. I'm dying to go back to church. The question that we're asking you—and would like to have asked the President and Dr. Birx—is is it safe? And if it's not safe, is the President trying to encourage that or does the President agree with Dr. Birx that people should wait?"
McEnany assured that it was safe for churches to reopen if they follow the CDC guidelines. She then expressed gratitude that "we have a President that celebrates the first amendment."
People thought McEnany's insinuation that reporters wanted to see churches closed was made in bad faith.
People commended Jeff Mason for calling out the rhetoric.
Three hours before Trump's announcement, the CDC released a report documenting the infection rate and subsequent deaths from a single church service in Arkansas.
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