WASHINGTON – President Biden said Wednesday that he would “strongly support” the relocation of Major League Baseball’s all-star game from Atlanta after the players’ union executive director said he was open to discussing such a move after the Republicans in Georgia last passed law this week to restrict access to voting in the state.
“The people who are the most victims are the people who are leaders in these different sports,” Biden said in an interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter on the evening before the opening day. “And it’s just not right.”
His comments came on the same day as large corporations like Delta Air Lines, Georgia’s largest employer, sharply criticized the legislation amid mounting pressure from activists, customers and black executives. The act introduced stricter identification requirements for postal votes and limited drop boxes in predominantly black neighborhoods, and expanded the legislature’s power over elections.
“This is Jim Crow on steroids, what they do in Georgia” Mr Biden told Sage Steele from ESPN.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13th in Atlanta.
In the interview, the president also encouraged baseball fans to wear masks and adhere to socially distant protocols. While spectators are required to wear masks in every stadium, guidelines differ depending on the guidelines of each city or state. The Texas Rangers plan to open their Arlington stadium to full capacity to accommodate approximately 40,300 fans.
“I think it’s a mistake. You should Dr. Fauci and listening to the scientists and experts, ”said Biden, referring to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s leading infectious disease expert. “But I think it’s not responsible.”
Updated
April 1, 2021, 4:46 p.m. ET
While states are rapidly expanding access to coronavirus vaccines, the country is far from herd immunity, or the point where 70 to 90 percent of the population becomes resistant to infection and the transmission of the virus slows. Cases are also on the rise: for the past week there have been an average of more than 64,000 cases per day, up 17 percent from the average two weeks earlier, according to a New York Times database.
On Monday, Mr Biden urged governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates. The government has also worked to address vaccine reluctance among minority communities as well as conservatives in rural areas with an advertising campaign and relying on community leaders to promote the benefits of the coronavirus vaccine.
When asked what he would say to athletes who are reluctant to get vaccinated, Mr. Biden said, “I am President of the United States. I was vaccinated. “
“Would I take the vaccine, the vaccine, if I thought it was going to hurt me?” he added.
Dr. Fauci said in an interview on Face the Nation on CBS Sunday that he expected pandemic restrictions to ease as the baseball season progressed.
But while fans flock to the stadiums on Thursday, Mr. Biden isn’t going to throw first place in a stadium.
“I know the president really wants to go to the Nationals Stadium,” said Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, on Tuesday. “Many great days, many great baseball games this spring.”
It turned out that these fans had heard both a plea to adhere to socially distant guidelines and support for a possible protest against Georgian law.
“Players are very aware of the recent voting restrictions,” Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association, told The Boston Globe. “We have not yet had a discussion with the league on the subject of the All-Star game. If the opportunity presents itself, we would look forward to this conversation. “
