This is Day 40 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Christie: A lot of Trump's policies are things Republicans support
Ahead of former President Donald Trump's address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Sunday afternoon, ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked former New Jersey Governor and ABC News contributor Chris Christie about statements made by Republican leaders in recent weeks.
"Three weeks ago, you had Mitch McConnell saying the president bears responsibility for the siege. Kevin McCarthy says the same thing. Kevin McCarthy's at CPAC saying this is Trump's Republican Party. Mitch McConnell says he'd vote for him in 2024," Stephanopoulos said.
"The bottom line is this, George. You know, Donald Trump is not a departing two-term president like George W. Bush was and as a result, he's got an opportunity to come back again if he wants to. And there are going to be some in the party who want him and there are going to be some in the party who don't," Christie said. "But what is consistent is many of the policies that were pursued over the last four years -- take aside the personality; take aside the tweets -- a lot of those policies are things that Republicans support."
On former Pres. Donald Trump's role in the GOP, @ChrisChristie says "many of the policies that were pursued over the last four years, take aside the personality, take aside the tweets, a lot of those policies are things that Republicans support." https://t.co/jisiSjY4KY pic.twitter.com/31meWxoUVZ
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 28, 2021
Fauci: Need to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized use of a third COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., declaring the Johnson & Johnson vaccine safe and effective in adults 18 and older.
ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Dr. Anthony Fauci about hesitancy from people over its reported efficacy compared to others.
"What do you say to those who want to wait for Moderna and Pfizr?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"We have to get away from that line of thought," Fauci responded. "We have three highly efficacious vaccines. Safe and efficacious."
NEW: After the FDA authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, @gstephanopoulos asks Dr. Anthony Fauci about hesitancy from people over its reported efficacy compared to others: "We have three highly efficacious vaccines... that's the bottom line." https://t.co/GNnteaYoeZ pic.twitter.com/VV40UTibGJ
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 28, 2021
"If I went into a clinic and said we have JJ now, I would take the one that is available to me now," Fauci continued.
Biden sends letter on Syria airstrike to leaders of House, Senate
The White House released a letter Saturday from President Biden to the speaker of the House and president pro tempore of the Senate on the airstrike in eastern Syria, in his effort to keep Congress "fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Act."
"I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. The United States took this action pursuant to the United States' inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter," Biden wrote in the letter.
This comes following some bipartisan criticism the White House received over the decision to carry out the airstrike in Syria.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
Biden teases announcement on US actions with Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi report
As Biden departed the White House to board Marine One Saturday afternoon, he was asked if he planned to punish Saudi Arabia’s crown prince following a U.S. intelligence report that concluded he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden carefully teased an announcement but said it wouldn’t specifically pertain to Khashoggi’s murder.
He said, “there will be an announcement on Monday as to what we’re going to be doing with Saudi Arabia in general.”
The president then left the White House for Delaware.
On Friday the Office of Director of National Intelligence released a highly anticipated report on the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident who was murdered and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Oct. 2018.
It revealed the U.S. intelligence community found Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill him.
The Saudi government has denied that that the crown prince was involved and instead blamed the death on a rogue team of government agents.
The killing has roiled the United States' longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia.
Biden said he spoke to King Salman on Thursday, one day before the report was released.
Biden praises House for passing American Rescue Plan, tells Senate there’s “no time to waste”
During brief remarks Saturday morning, Biden praised the House passage of his American Rescue Plan and urged the Senate to pass the bill, warning there’s “no time to waste.”
He said he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just before stepping out and thanked her for her work on the effort and for moving the country “one step forward” on relief.
The $1.9 trillion economic coronavirus relief package will provide resources to schools and businesses, boost funding for vaccinations and testing and grant financial relief to Americans across the country.
“With their vote, we're one step closer to vaccinating the nation. We are one step closer to putting $1,400 in the pockets of Americans,” Biden said. “We're one step closer to extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who are shortly going to lose them. We're one step closer to helping millions of Americans feed their families, and keep a roof over their head.”
“We're one step closer to getting our kids safely back in school. And we're one step closer to getting state and local governments the money they need to prevent massive layoffs for essential workers,” he added.
He directed a message to the Senate stressing, “I hope it will receive quick action.”
“If we act now, decisively, quickly and boldly, we can finally get ahead of this virus, we can finally get our economy moving again, and the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long.”
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks, Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle