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Montage: Biden officials always claim to 'follow the science' on coronavirus masking

Masks will be optional at Biden's State of the Union address

By David Rutz Fox News
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Montage: Biden, White House officials always swear they're 'following the science' on masks Video

Montage: Biden, White House officials always swear they're 'following the science' on masks

An indoor mask mandate in Washington has vanished in time for President Biden's State of the Union in the latest twist in "the science."

The coronavirus science the White House has claimed to always follow took a rapid turn on Friday, just in time for President Biden's State of the Union address.

Fox News co-host Bill Hemmer pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki Thursday during an extensive interview on "America’s Newsroom," asking why the White House dropped its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals ahead of the speech to a joint session of Congress.

"What changed in the science yesterday, Monday, as opposed to a week ago Monday?" asked Hemmer. 

"It wasn’t actually yesterday, Bill. What the CDC did is they put out guidance last Friday that identified recommendations depending on what the hospitalization rates are in your part of the country," Psaki said.

EDUCATION ACTIVISTS AGREE DEMOCRATS' CHANGE OF HEART ON MASK MANDATES IS BASED ON ‘POLITICAL SCIENCE’

Throughout the past year, Biden, Psaki, and top medical officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky have relentlessly professed to adhere to "the science," particularly when it comes to advocating for masking indoors, including in schools.

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    Joe Biden. (Drew Angerer/ Getty Images))

  • White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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    White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

  • Anthony Fauci at White House, COVID response team
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    Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the NIAID, participates in the White House COVID-19 Response Team's regular call with the National Governors Association. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

At one point, Fauci even said that criticism of him amounted to attacking "science" itself.

Biden has often used the phrase in speeches to justify masking measures recommended by the government; as recently as last month, Psaki said people should ignore local rulings on masks in schools and continue to abide by CDC guidelines on students wearing them, noting "the science is changing."

A flood of Democratic-led states recently dropped their mask rules as polls show dire numbers for the party ahead of the November midterms.

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Now Biden, who is often seen wearing a mask outdoors by himself, will stroll on Tuesday into the House chamber in Congress maskless. 

Fox News' Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.

David Rutz is a senior editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @davidrutz.