OAN Deven Berryhill
UPDATED 6:00 PM PT – Thursday, March 9, 2023
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to dodge questions during Wednesday’s White House press briefing when asked whether or not President Biden would allow Novak Djokovic to compete in the upcoming Miami Open.
On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) said in a press conference that the ban on allowing unvaccinated international travelers in the United States should end. The Serbian tennis superstar is reported to have refused to take the mRNA vaccine.
“I was never against vaccination,” the tennis star told the BBC. He confirmed that he’d had taken vaccines as a child, “but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
On Twitter, DeSantis asked the President to “lift your restrictions and let [Djokovic] compete.”
DeSantis went on to criticize the White House by saying that the Biden administration should get in step with the current data regarding COVID-19.
“People get infected anyways… He [Djokovic] poses zero risk to the United States, zero risk to the state of Florida, and zero risk to Miami,” said DeSantis.
When reporters asked for a response regarding the Florida Governor’s calls to allow Djokovic to compete in the Miami Open tennis tournament, Jean-Pierre referred reporters to the CDC.