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No, Jen Psaki didn’t talk about the mark of the beast in this press conference
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- Jen Psaki said Joe Biden wants to protect "more" people, not "marked" people.
Social media users are sharing a clip of an old press conference with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and suggesting that the Biden administration is now openly talking about "the mark of the beast," an allegiance to Satan as told in the New Testament that some people associate with the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a short video of Psaki responding to a reporter’s question about a shift in tone when talking about unvaccinated people, she says: "What you heard the president convey yesterday is the next steps that he is taking using every lever of government to reduce sicknesses, to reduce hospitalizations, to protect more people, and save more lives."
But text over the video says: "Protect ‘marked’ people…"
"They are openly saying this is the mark of the beast now," one person sharing the video said.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
Psaki didn’t say "marked" people. She said "more" people.
It’s clear in the video, and it’s clear from the context of her statement. She goes on to say, "There are many people in this country who aren’t vaccinated" and that "we’ve also seen, during this time, the delta variant, a transmissible variant, pose greater risk, put more people in hospitals."
The White House transcript of this Sept. 10 press briefing reflects that Psaki said "more," and not "marked." So does this transcript from Factba.se, which is unaffiliated with the White House.
We rate this post False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Oct. 22, 2021
The White House, Press briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Sept. 10, 2021
Factba.se, Press conference: Jen Psaki holds a press briefing at the White House, Sept. 10, 2021
PolitiFact, No, COVID-19 vaccine wouldn’t come with a ‘mark,’ May 22, 2020
USA Today, Some say COVID-19 vaccine is the ‘mark of the beast.’ Is there a connection to the bible? Sept. 27, 2021
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No, Jen Psaki didn’t talk about the mark of the beast in this press conference
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