Dismissing health concerns, State Department treats 200 guests to holiday drinks, tours and leftover
Source: Washington Post
National Security
Dismissing health concerns, State Department treats 200 guests to holiday drinks, tours and leftover 'Be Best' swag
{snip a picture of last year's party}
By John Hudson
Dec. 9, 2020 at 2:40 p.m. EST
The State Department hosted roughly 200 guests Tuesday night at the presidential guesthouse despite concerns of public health experts and a new positive coronavirus case on the premises since last week, according to two U.S. officials.
The party included a tour of the White House's vaunted holiday decorations followed by a self-guided tour across the street at Blair House, where foreign diplomats, their families, U.S. staffers and friends and acquaintances of the State Department's chief of protocol convened.
A State Department spokesman said the "Holiday Cheer" reception that typically follows the tour was canceled this year because of concerns about spreading the novel coronavirus, but two bars were set up in the guesthouse as the face-shield-wearing catering staff poured drinks into holiday-themed paper cups. Guests unmasked to consume the beverages, causing people to congregate and create occasional choke points, the two officials told The Washington Post. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
{snip}
Amid the poinsettias, chandeliers and meticulously decorated Christmas trees, children on Tuesday night received "Be Best"-branded swag such as backpacks, Frisbees and water bottles from first lady Melania Trump's signature anti-bullying and wellness initiative. The State Department has a stockpile of "Be Best" merchandise that is often handed out when the first lady travels abroad. In the absence of a second Trump term, officials need to find a home for the surplus gear, one U.S. official said. ... “It’s time to get rid of the leftovers,” the official said.
{snip}
John Hudson
John Hudson is a national security reporter at The Washington Post covering the State Department and diplomacy. He has reported from a mix of countries including Ukraine, Pakistan, Malaysia, China, and Georgia. Follow https://twitter.com/John_Hudson
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/state-department-coronavirus-holiday-parties/2020/12/09/ba72c2f4-3a49-11eb-8328-a36a109900c2_story.html
David Fahrenthold Retweeted
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Dismissing health concerns, State Department hosts 200 guests for tours, holiday drinks and leftover 'Be Best' swag -- by
@John_Hudson
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Me either! 
Too bad the covid doesn't only kill the cruel and stoooopid
You can't hold anti cyber bullying duties when your president is the biggest cyber bully on the planet. 