Fact-Checkers Ignore Harris’s False Claim Admin ‘Starting From Scratch’ With Coronavirus Vaccines

Fact-checkers from CNN and The Washington Post eagerly investigated everything that came from the mouths of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

No one can find them now after Vice President Kamala Harris claimed President Joe Biden’s administration is “starting from scratch” with COVID-19 vaccine rollouts.

Then again, CNN reported in January that the administration had to “start from scratch” with vaccines. Dr. Anthony Fauci denied this claim, but CNN doubled and tripled down on the report.

So I guess it’s not shocking that we cannot find the CNN fact-checkers regarding Harris’s claim.

Stacey wrote up the exchange between NBC News reporter Kristen Walker and Fauci:

Welker: Is the Biden administration starting from scratch with the vaccine distribution effort? Or are you picking up where the Trump administration left off?

Fauci: No, I mean, we certainly are not starting from scratch because there is activity going on in the distribution. But if you look at the plan that the President has put forth about the things that he’s going to do, namely, get community vaccine centers up, get pharmacies more involved, where appropriate, get the Defense Production Act involved not only, perhaps, with getting more vaccine, but even the things you need to get a good vaccine program. For example, needles and syringes that might be more useful in that. So it’s taking what’s gone on, but amplifying it in a big way.

Welker: President Biden said that what was left was abysmal, essentially. I mean, is there anything actionable that you are taking from the previous administration? Or — and is that delaying your efforts to get the vaccine? I mean, that’s the question.

Fauci: No. We’re coming in with fresh ideas but also some ideas that were not bad ideas with the previous administration. You can’t say it was absolutely not usable at all. So we are continuing, but you’re going to see a real ramping up of it.

Harris’s Declaration
Axios co-founder Mike Allen asked Harris about the COVID-19 problems facing the administration.

“There was no stockpile of vaccines,” Harris complained. “There was no national strategy or plan for vaccinations. We were leaving it to the states and local leaders to try and figure it out. And in so many ways, we’re starting from scratch on something that’s been raging for almost an entire year.”

Axios deleted and replaced its tweet with the claim. Thing is, Axios did this quietly. I do not see any correction or explanation as to why the outlet made the move.

Fox News reported WaPo fact-checker Glenn Kessler and CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale spent the weekend fact-checking Trump’s defense team during the impeachment trial.

Considering Fauci already debunked Harris’s claim it would not have been hard for either man to fact-check the vice president.

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