Politics

‘He Will Run Over Them’: Biden Adviser Says Administration Won’t Let Governors ‘Stand In The Way’ On Vaccine Mandates

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Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond said Thursday that President Joe Biden was prepared to “run over” any Republican governors who stood in his way on vaccine mandates.

Richmond spoke with CNN anchor Don Lemon about Biden’s plan to impose vaccine mandates on federal workers and on private businesses with over 100 employees. The former congressman from Louisiana said that the president was ready for whatever opposition Republicans might present. (RELATED: ‘Those Are His Words’: Dana Bash Presses Cedric Richmond After Biden Says ‘No’ To Progressives’ ‘Socialist Agenda’)

WATCH:

Lemon began with a clip from Biden’s speech earlier Thursday in which the president announced his plan to mandate the vaccine including in states where Republican governors have said that they would not force anyone to do anything.

“Let me be blunt. My plan also takes on elected officials in states that are undermining you and these lifesaving actions,” Biden said. “If they’ll not help, if these governors won’t help us beat the pandemic, I will use my power as president to get them out of the way.”

“Cedric, we know these governors won’t help. They’re already slamming the new rule. So what are you going to do about it?” Lemon asked.

“The one thing I admire about this president is the fact that we are always going to put people above politics. And we’re going to fight for those who really need our help,” Richmond replied, accusing Republicans of using both vaccines and masks as a “political game.”

“But our purpose is to save lives,” Richmond continued, saying that the administration is prepared to do anything in its power to make sure that governors were forced to fall in line.

“And those governors that stand in the way, I think, it was very clear from the president’s tone today that he will run over them,” he said. “And it is important. It’s not for political purposes. It’s to save the lives of American people. And so, we won’t let one or two individuals stand in the way. We will always err on the side of protecting the American people.”