Obama to Limit Birthday Party to Close Friends and Family After Backlash

Libby | August 4, 2021
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Former President Barack Obama will now reportedly limit his 60th birthday celebration this coming weekend to close friends and family following criticism of possible coronavirus spread.

The event, set to be hosted in Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, was originally expecting almost 700 people, including 200 party staff.

“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,” Obama’s spokeswoman Hannah Hankins said in a statement Wednesday morning, according to The New York Times reported.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said that the birthday bash was “not a good idea,” CNN reported.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R- N.Y.) joined in the criticisms of the former president’s soiree, although in a much harsher tone.

“Typical liberal, ‘do as I say, not as I do,’” Stefanik said. “This is what socialism looks like.”

Though the scaled back party will now be limited to a smaller crowd, the exact amount has not been stated.

Even as Obama received criticism from across the political spectrum, The New York Times noted that Obama supporters viewed his plans to go ahead with party plans as a “casual disregard for the optics of his birthday bash.”

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