Chris Christie Hasn't Tweeted About Anything Besides Ebola Since Thursday
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been tweeting up a storm and, since Thursday, he's tweeted about nothing but Ebola.
He's used his account to promote the state's mandatory quarantines for health workers returning from West Africa - and made his case for New Jersey's controversial quarantine of nurse Kaci Hickox after she returned from the Ebola zone in Sierra Leone.
He's discussed New Jersey's coordination with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in rolling out those quarantines, even in the face of criticism from the White House.
He's reassured the public that there are no Ebola cases in New Jersey, and he's reminded everyone that Ebola can only be spread through bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms.
When it comes to #Ebola you need to know the facts. @CDCgov pic.twitter.com/tdnvmoAQXU
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 22, 2014
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Christie's last non-Ebola tweet had to do with housing. In fact, Christie has only posted four non-Ebola-related tweets since last Monday.
Christie's Twitter storm kept up today, even as New Jersey decided to release Hickox from quarantine as her lawyer threatened to sue. In fact, the furor over Hickox's quarantine in a tent at a Newark, New Jersey, hospital fueled Christie's Twitter output from the start.
Today, a healthcare worker arrived at Newark Airport, w/ a recent history of treating patients w/ Ebola in West Africa, but w/ no symptoms. - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 24, 2014
After @CDCgov alerted @NJDeptofhealth of the traveler, @NJDeptofhealth made the determination that a legal quarantine order should be issued - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 24, 2014
This woman, while her home residence is outside of this area, her next stop was going to be here in NY.
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 24, 2014
. @NYGovCuomo and I discussed it before we came out today and a quarantine order will be issued.
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 24, 2014
Hickox later penned an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News chronicling her Ebola quarantine travails and suggesting mandatory quarantines will discourage volunteerism.
The White House, which opposes mandatory quarantines, spent the weekend obliquely bashing the policy. The administration raised concerns with Christie and Cuomo, a senior administration official told ABC News on Sunday, suggesting the quarantines are "not grounded in science," a position shared by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-diseases official at the National Institutes of Health.
President Obama met with his team of Ebola advisers on Sunday, the White House announced, asking its members to develop federal policies on how to handle Ebola workers, with an eye toward not discouraging volunteerism. New guidelines are on the way, a senior administration official said.
Christie has defended the quarantines in interviews, and Sunday night he took to Twitter to clarify that workers can undergo quarantine at home if they live in the state. Hickox was sequestered in a hospital tent because she doesn't live there.
Non-residents would be transported to their homes if feasible and, if not, quarantined in New Jersey. - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
As I said on Friday, we & the @NJDeptofhealth will make those judgements were need be, what the most appropriate location for that is. - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
IF the person is not a resident of our state already.
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
Obviously, if they're already a resident of NJ then they can quarantine in their own homes under a quarantine order. https://t.co/ZK3zIAAaL4
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
On Monday he took to Twitter to address Hickox's allegations of mistreatment:
"While in isolation, every effort was made to insure that she remained comfortable…" (cont) @NJDeptofhealth
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
"…with access to a computer, cell phone, reading material and nourishment of choice." - @NJDeptofhealth
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
And to hit back at critics of New Jersey's quarantine policy:
My greater responsibility is to the public. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
The fact of the matter is we're not going to step away for a minute from protecting the people of my state. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
So the critics are the critics no matter what you do there will be critics and you don't worry that. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
You worry about doing what's right for the people you represent and that's what we've done. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola - Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
Our preference always is to have people quarantined in their homes. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
Now in this instance it wasn't possible because given her condition at the time. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
I know she didn't want to be there. No one ever wants to be in the hospital, I suspect. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0 #Ebola
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
So, I understand that. But, the fact is I have a much greater, bigger responsibility to the people of the public. https://t.co/4NdrKvUAT0
- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 27, 2014
The White House's response to Ebola cases in the U.S. has become a growing political issue for Republican candidates, who have mentioned the disease alongside national security threats posed by ISIS in arguments against Obama's leadership abilities. Christie, widely seen as a possible Republican contender for the White House in 2016, has quickly become the leading spokesman opposing the White House's stance on the public policy debate over how to confront Ebola.