RUSH TRANSCRIPT Former president ░░░░░░░░ Obama is celebrating his ░░░░░░░░ birthday with a party ░░░░░░░░ Martha s vineyard today ░░░░░░░░ concerns about the delta ░░░░░░░░ meant the original guest ░░░░░░░░ of several hundred people ░░░░░░░░ to be dramatically scaled ░░░░░░░░ meaning even some a ░░░░░░░░ celebrities got the boot ░░░░░░░░ me now to talk ░░░░░░░░ this is the White ░░░░░░░░ correspondent for The New ░░░░░░░░ Times Annie Karni Annie ░░░░░░░░ to see you You ░░░░░░░░ been reporting on this ░░░░░░░░ all week that s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of attention ░░░░░░░░ us the latest I ░░░░░░░░ this party is going ░░░░░░░░ go on The party ░░░░░░░░ I m getting an ░░░░░░░░ here Try again Maybe ░░░░░░░░ s gone away The ░░░░░░░░ has gone through a ░░░░░░░░ phases It was on ░░░░░░░░ was a 475 person ░░░░░░░░ list It looked really ░░░░░░░░ the top given the ░░░░░░░░ we re in with ░░░░░░░░ delta variant surging with ░░░░░░░░ White House trying to ░░░░░░░░ a message that people ░░░░░░░░ to get vaccinated and ░░░░░░░░ extra precautions again Obama ░░░░░░░░ hearing from aides that ░░░░░░░░ should significantly scale this ░░░░░░░░ That happened on Wednesday ░░░░░░░░ lot of people in ░░░░░░░░ s circle still thought ░░░░░░░░ was late In fact ░░░░░░░░ people were already traveling ░░░░░░░░ the island for the ░░░░░░░░ But what we re ░░░░░░░░ today is that a ░░░░░░░░ of there was kind ░░░░░░░░ a two tier system ░░░░░░░░ lot of the celebrities ░░░░░░░░ their invites and a ░░░░░░░░ of the former administration ░░░░░░░░ who really credit themselves ░░░░░░░░ helping the former president ░░░░░░░░ built this legacy that ░░░░░░░░ him to fit in ░░░░░░░░ comfortably with the a ░░░░░░░░ stars were cut There ░░░░░░░░ some hard feelings and ░░░░░░░░ disappointment this is the ░░░░░░░░ it s turning out ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen celebrities ░░░░░░░░ on the island the ░░░░░░░░ have some pictures of ░░░░░░░░ tent in the back ░░░░░░░░ 12 million mansion It ░░░░░░░░ quite large When they ░░░░░░░░ they scaled it back ░░░░░░░░ be family and close ░░░░░░░░ it s not a ░░░░░░░░ person gathering It looks ░░░░░░░░ it could be a ░░░░░░░░ hundred We ll see ░░░░░░░░ actually shows up tonight ░░░░░░░░ this whole back and ░░░░░░░░ with the party is ░░░░░░░░ going to carry on ░░░░░░░░ it not It s ░░░░░░░░ I ve been hearing ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ who are supportive of ░░░░░░░░ former president who like ░░░░░░░░ Democrats who think just ░░░░░░░░ optics of this in ░░░░░░░░ moment with the message ░░░░░░░░ White House is trying ░░░░░░░░ send is off is ░░░░░░░░ helpful to Progressives or ░░░░░░░░ Democrats to be watching ░░░░░░░░ glitzy party unfold What ░░░░░░░░ precautions are they taking ░░░░░░░░ what are people saying ░░░░░░░░ the island on Martha ░░░░░░░░ vineyard about this Well ░░░░░░░░ of all to be ░░░░░░░░ this party is outdoors ░░░░░░░░ the guests had to ░░░░░░░░ negative Covid tests to ░░░░░░░░ Covid coordinator And were ░░░░░░░░ to be vaccinated They ░░░░░░░░ not required to be ░░░░░░░░ But most of this ░░░░░░░░ is assumed to be ░░░░░░░░ So they are following ░░░░░░░░ CDC precautions The feeling ░░░░░░░░ the island I heard ░░░░░░░░ things from people I ░░░░░░░░ There were people who ░░░░░░░░ legitimately upset that there ░░░░░░░░ going to be hundreds ░░░░░░░░ people traveling from across ░░░░░░░░ country showing up on ░░░░░░░░ island a small community ░░░░░░░░ summer residents who are ░░░░░░░░ about getting together at ░░░░░░░░ I quoted rose stiren ░░░░░░░░ she really was upset ░░░░░░░░ this even though she ░░░░░░░░ invited to one of ░░░░░░░░ Obama pre parties Other ░░░░░░░░ said you know this ░░░░░░░░ really being overblown They ░░░░░░░░ following all the safety ░░░░░░░░ People are going to ░░░░░░░░ events that are bigger ░░░░░░░░ this This is going ░░░░░░░░ be safe This is ░░░░░░░░ sophisticated vaccinated crowd This ░░░░░░░░ just about optics it ░░░░░░░░ not about safety All ░░░░░░░░ Annie Karni thanks so ░░░░░░░░ We ll see how ░░░░░░░░ plays out Good to ░░░░░░░░ to you.