Former President Barack Obama is facing backlash over his 60th birthday party plans on Martha’s Vineyard, with Piers Morgan and others slamming him as “incredibly reckless.” The 44th president will have approximately 475 people attend, with another 200 individuals hired to help.
Morgan said the reaction to Obama’s plans would be much different if former President Trump had planned something similar.
“Imagine for a moment that Donald Trump was throwing a massive birthday party for himself and 475 conservative friends in Martha’s Vineyard next weekend?” Morgan said. “What do you think the reaction would be from liberals, given that America is currently in the grip of a very dangerous new phase of the coronavirus pandemic with the Delta variant of COVID that has seen infections rise 148% in the past two weeks and hospitalizations by 73%?”
Morgan went on to urge Obama to cancel the party.
"If he doesn’t, he will encourage many skeptical unvaccinated Americans to continue refusing to have the shot at the precise moment when it’s desperately important they have it," he said. "Put bluntly: he will cost lives. Cancel your party, Mr. President.”
*NEW: If Trump was hosting a massive birthday party this weekend, as America reels from the Delta COVID surge, liberals would go nuts about how selfish & reckless he was being.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 2, 2021
Why does Obama get a pass?
My column: https://t.co/K2OjvriWV8 pic.twitter.com/CkyGpar679
Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, also took aim at the former president.
“Democrats are imposing unscientific mask mandates while contemplating more lockdowns. Meanwhile, President Obama is hosting over 500 elites at his Marthas Vineyard mansion. If you or I did that it would be called a super-spreader event by the Democrats,” she said. “Typical liberal ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ This is what socialism looks like.”
Fox News’s Peter Doocy even confronted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over the birthday bash. She defended Obama’s party because it’s outdoors and will have testing requirements.
Doocy also asked about Obama throwing a massive birthday party and whether he's "setting the right example of how dangerous Covid is," which led Psaki to defend it because "Obama has been a huge advocate of individuals being vaccinated," there will be testing, and it's outside pic.twitter.com/jGb11keCW7
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 2, 2021
Others on social media skewered the hypocrisy from the ruling class.
I'll never forget the packed church for John Lewis at the height of the pandemic while I wasn't able to have friends and family attend my wife's funeral.
— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) August 2, 2021
The ruling class NEVER plays by the rules that only apply to the little people.https://t.co/QIxX61xwxR
The media is attacking Ron DeSantis for letting parents choose whether or not to mask kids at schools but they seem to have no problem with Obama's maskless birthday party with 475 people on the guest list
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 2, 2021
Suddenly "super-spreader" events are okay and child abuse is tolerated.
Does Biden have any comment on Obama throwing a massive birthday bash as he pushes for more COVID restrictions?
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) August 2, 2021
Or is there an exception for parties attended by rich liberal celebrities?