Citing new concerns about COVID-19’s delta variant, former President Barack Obama allegedly scaled back the size of his birthday party bash that is scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 6 on Martha’s Vineyard. Obama turns 60-years-old on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
As Obama prepares his lavish birthday party for 400 guests at his $12 million weekend estate during a pandemic and eviction crisis, his aides urge the public to donate to his unprecedentedly sprawling emperor-like “library” that will be outside the normal record-keeping rules. https://t.co/xmDNYAmtAb
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 3, 2021
The “outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with [COVID-19] safeguards in place,” Hannah Hankins, a spokeswoman for Obama, said in a statement to Fox News. (RELATED: Obama Planning Massive Birthday Celebration Amid Delta Variant Concerns)
“Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” Hankins said. “President Obama is appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon.”
Obama’s 475 guests include A-listers such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney, sources told The Hill. Pearl Jam will not perform at the birthday party anymore, a spokesperson for the rock band recently announced.
Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday if Obama is setting “the wrong example” by hosting a large birthday party during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psaki replied the event has testing requirements and that Obama “has been a huge advocate of individuals getting vaccinated.” She also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines apply to “indoor settings in high or substantial high zones of COVID cases.”
The party will take place at the former first family’s $12-million home, which sits on 30 oceanfront acres, a source told Axios’ Margaret Talev.