Mayor Holstege & Sheriff Bianco sound off over pandemic

WATCH THE FULL UNCUT INTERVIEWS BELOW:

A war of words between Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege has elicited a strong reaction on social media.

Holstege is critical of Bianco's handling of the pandemic and how he recently described his own experience with the virus as "no big deal."

The issues started on Wednesday when Holstege posted on her Facebook page that she's disappointed his position on the virus has not changed after "so many of his constituents have suffered the devastating impacts of the deadly pandemic."

Bianco responded, writing on her page "I was going to ask if you purposely misrepresented my comment but after reading your entire post, i see you're full of misinformation so never mind. that's not going to help you in your run for assembly."

Both Holstege and Bianco spoke with News Channel 3's Peter Daut during the 6:30 p.m. show on CBS Local 2 and Fox 11.

Transcript of Edited Interviews Below:

Interview with Mayor Holstege

Peter: "I'd like to start by asking about this exchange between you and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. You had posted something criticizing how he's dealt with the pandemic and he responded to you. What can you tell us about that?

Holstege: "It's really unfortunate that our Sheriff has now come down with COVID as well as his family. I hope that they recovered quickly. I know that a number of deputies in the Sheriff's Department have actually died from COVID so this is a serious pandemic.
I was disappointed. I have been critical about his handling of the pandemic throughout this time. He's criticized mask requirements. He said on news and on national news, saying he won't enforce any public health orders or work to keep our communities safe. He said he will not take the vaccine. And he said that this virus is no big deal but it's killed 3000 of our loved ones in Riverside County. 268,000 people have contracted this virus in our county alone. So, I think to say that the virus is 'No big deal' really minimizes the suffering that our community has faced during this nearly a year now."

Peter: "It's interesting. He actually commented on your post. He wrote, 'I was going to ask if you purposely misrepresented my comment, but after reading your entire post. I see you're full of misinformation so Never mind, that's not going to help you in your run for assembly.' What do you think he meant by that?

Holstege: "I was a little disturbed to see his comment and make it about me to not, you know, correct the record. I said I'm happy to correct the record. I'm just sharing facts about our community and things I've heard you say so. I've heard the Sheriff say in public meetings that this is like the flu. That the jails don't need to change any of their procedures because they deal with the chicken pox. I mean, you said all kinds of things that are just laughable from a public health perspective. He was on Twitter fighting with a doctor saying that you know his immune system is firing on all cylinders and so he's saved. No, that's not how this virus works and I think it's really dangerous to spread that information when we are responsible as elected officials for the health and well being of our community and, and every death is terrible. And we should be doing everything we can to protect our communities. So, I was a little surprised to see him comment that way it's not about me, it's not about him. It's about public policy and doing what we can to protect our community and save lives."

Peter: "Since you brought it up I have to ask, do you have future plans to run for assembly?"

Holstege: "I was just reelected to Palm Springs city council. I'm the first female Mayor. I've been Mayor for about a month here in a global pandemic. So, I am focused on our community and our residents and I am speaking out because our residents want me to speak out. I work for them. They are disappointed in the Sheriff's behavior. It doesn't align with Palm Springs' values. We've had to work extra hard as a city and our police department to keep our community safe because there's mixed messages from the Sheriff. And so I think that's a problem and that's the reason why I'm speaking out"

Interview with Sheriff Bianco

Peter: "First off what compelled you to respond to Mayor Holstege's post on her Facebook page."

Bianco: "Politics is driving this country crazy and it was her post was... not only misleading... it was reckless. Why she decided she has to attack me I have no idea. It's fine that she forwards the interview or the news article that there was talking about me having the COVID virus but for her to then just not only completely misrepresent what was said but then, compound that with other things that are her own opinion that are not fact. And then, you know, she got a lot of she was getting a lot of play with her followers and all based on something that she shouldn't have done in the first place."

Peter: "What specifically Did she say that you feel was misrepresenting you."

Bianco: "Her very first statement, saying that I said, it's really no big deal about the coronavirus and everything else that is absolutely not. What that was said in the context it was said, and just because she wants to quote me. I'll go back and find quotes from her from something else from months past, and I'll go ahead and apply that to something relevant today and say that she said it when she really didn't. We were talking and it's even in the article, she just cut it out. We were talking... or the question asked was, 'Is this affecting your job' and I said, 'Absolutely not, it's not affecting my job I'm doing everything by telephone and by computer, and it really isn't that big a deal I had to cut a couple of meetings but that's it.' And she took that to... she let everyone believe that I was trying to say that this virus is no big deal. It's unbelievably reckless. It's not true. It's a complete misrepresentation of the article and of what I said. And she either knows it and did it on purpose. Or she was reckless in not reading the article and just decided she was going to forward that anyway"

Peter: "I interviewed Mayor Holstege, who says that you have consistently downplayed the pandemic. For example, you've criticized wearing masks, posted on Twitter you would not take the vaccine and refuse to enforce public health requirements. So is she wrong?"

Bianco: "100% completely wrong. I have never downplayed this virus. I have constantly told people to wear masks, social distance, and stay at home if you could. It's a complete misrepresentation of me saying that. I have never had a conversation with her so she's never heard me say anything. She's going off of what she read from some article or what someone posted in social media. We all know how true that stuff is, and is just absolutely not true. I am very vocal with, along with my partners in the county, public health, of saying that we need to wear masks, social distance, and by all means, if you're in these categories that make you susceptible to death or serious complications from this virus, you need to take precautions to stay home and protect yourself."

Peter: "Do you plan on taking the vaccine."

Bianco: "No. I do not. I don't even know why this is that's even a big deal. This entire deal this entire issue with me is because I'm not utilizing law enforcement resources to go arrest people for not wearing masks and for coming outside their homes. No one in the entire country is doing that."

Peter: "In your opinion, sir, are the doctors, healthcare workers, and health officials over exaggerating, how bad the situation is?"

Bianco: "I don't think anyone's over-exaggerating or under exaggerating anything. I think they all have an opinion and back to your question before about me taking the vaccine. I don't see why that's irrelevant to anything. I don't want the vaccine. I've never taken a flu vaccine. I don't want it. I value my health. I value my body. I take care of it. I use vitamins and food as my immunization and it works. That's a medical suggested practice for me and I follow it.
I don't think that the media, that doctors that, our government, that our governor, I don't think they're giving everyone the whole story either about how they could protect themselves from this virus. Leading up to the point where they get the vaccine, if they want to take the vaccine, that's awesome that's more power to him. I won't take the vaccine and my vaccine that would have been for me, gladly give to someone else they can have it"

Peter: "I'm curious, you say we're not getting the whole story. This is your opportunity. What is the whole story?"

Bianco: "No one has said one single thing about your body's immune system, protecting yourself. No one. What, why are doctors not all... this is a virus. This is a virus, that our bodies are attacked by viruses, constantly, and our immune system is designed, I believe, I mean there's no secret here that we want to talk politics, I believe in God 100% and I believe God designed my immune system to fight things off. Some things you can, some things you can't. But that's what our immune system is designed for and if we have our immune system designed and running exactly how it's supposed to, we shouldn't have any problem with it. And they all want. everyone wants to use the word Science, Science, Science, Science, that's scientific. Science tells you that if you have a healthy immune system, you don't have to worry about this"

Bianco: "They're touting a vaccine that's 95% effective but our body is 99% effective. Why is nobody talking about that number?"

Peter: "You have to understand, sir. There are going to be a lot of health experts watching this interview who are going to disagree with you wholeheartedly"

Bianco: 100%, 100%. But the opposite of that is there is going to be health experts that do agree with me."