When he spoke before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening, one of the main proposals President Joe Biden unveiled involved education. Specifically, he proposed funding for universal pre-K and two years of instruction at a community college.
However, to hear Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tell it, what Biden really wants is mandatory pre-K and college for every American student, even though the president never said any such thing.
Appearing on Stuart Varney’s Fox Business show, Blackburn launched into a deranged rant, telling the host:
“Three-year-old pre-K — they’re going to mandate this. Two years of college whether you like it or not. These are the things that take away choices from the American people. They give them a great big fat tax bill that they’re going to pay.”
Don’t be fooled by the name of the ‘American Families Plan.’ This plan is anti-family and forces you to rely on the federal government to organize your life. pic.twitter.com/w0CdpP6qai
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 28, 2021
Varney quickly reminded Blackburn that in a Senate that’s evenly divided, Biden won’t see all of his policy proposals become reality, to which the senator railed:
“Well, God help us all. I hope that we’re able to block every single bit of this. 2022 cannot get here fast enough so that we see Republicans regain control of the House and the Senate. These guys are trying to do a fast drive to socialism.”
Daniel Dale, CNN’s fact checker, quickly called out Blackburn, noting that Biden never said anything about “mandatory” pre-K or college:
On pre-K, Biden is proposing to spend $200B to make pre-K available to all 3- and 4-year-olds. But no requirement to attend.
On college, Biden is proposing to spend $109 billion to offer free two-year community college to all Americans. But no requirement to attend.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 29, 2021
When confronted with those facts from Dale, a spokesperson for Sen. Blackburn “misspoke” and that the reason was because she’d been on “live TV.”
Blackburn spokesman Spencer Hurwitz acknowledged Blackburn was inaccurate when she claimed that Biden wants to make pre-K and community college mandatory. “As happens on live TV, she misspoke,” Hurwitz said in an email. https://t.co/8JntxlCWk9
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 29, 2021
Live TV, huh? That was all Twitter needed to mock the senator and her excuses:
Of course. Go on TV and lie to millions and then send an email that no one will ever see claiming to have misspoken. #noconsequences
— Michael Gleich (@mleetch352) April 29, 2021
What the spokesperson meant to say:
“As it happens with today’s GQP, she’s a complete trainwreck, but even so, sadly, I’m not surprised that the fine folks of Tennessee elected her. Help me!”
— William Leonard (@damn_kid5) April 29, 2021
God forbid someone should have education forced on them. This is what scares them? Learning something?
No wonder it’s called free-dumb.
— ChicaLoca (@HaschVivian) April 29, 2021
No. This is NOT what happens on live TV. You don’t just spontaneously lie. You don’t just make shit up as if it were true.
This was a calculated lie that would she PLANNED to be retracted PURELY to get the RightWingers riled up.
She is so fucking transparent.
— Cops Need to Stop Shooting Black People (@feloneouscat) April 29, 2021
It’s easy to misspeak when you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s also easy to “misspeak” when you’re being purposely deceptive.
— CB (@DNTBFKNIGNRNT) April 29, 2021
It happens when you don’t listen to what is actually being said. It also happens when you’re a habitual liar.
— RoLynn (@16RoLynn) April 29, 2021
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