I compare the government reasoning in this video to the government reasoning on COVID-19 policies

I’ve been mulling over the exchange between veteran Associated Press reporter Matt Lee and U.S. State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, from February 3.

I compare the government reasoning in this video to the government reasoning on COVID-19 policies.

From C-SPAN coverage of the exchange, Price announced “the United States has information that Russia is planning to stage fabricated attacks by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces as a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine.”

https://www.c-span.org/video/?517719-1/state-department-daily-briefing

Lee kicked off the questioning at the ~2:47 minute mark. The exchange went as follows, borrowing and trimming from a Fox News story:

Lee: “Well, you've made an allegation that they might do that. Have they actually done it?"

Price: "What we know, Matt, is what ... I have just said. That they have engaged in this activity.”

Lee: "What activity?"

Price: "…we have made these reports public." 

Lee: "What report public? You have shown no evidence to confirm that … What is the evidence?"

Price: [Price then said that the information came from U.S. intelligence and was declassified.]

Lee: "Okay, well, … where is it? Where is this information?"

Price: [Price responded by asking Lee if he would want a printed-out transcript of the briefing.]

Lee: "That's not evidence. That's you saying it. I would like to see some proof that … shows that the Russians are doing that."

Price: "I'm sorry, you don't like the content. I'm sorry you are doubting the information that is in the possession of the U.S. government." 

"We are trying to deter the Russians from moving forward with this type of activity. That is why we were making it public today. If the Russians don't go forward with this, that is not ipso facto an indication that they never had plans to do so.”

Lee: "Then it's unprovable, my god.”

Here’s my analogy.

US Government:

The US Government has evidence that COVID-19 is incredibly dangerous such that we must force children to wear masks and be vaccinated, and these are the only two solutions.

American People:

Where is the evidence of the purported danger other than you coming out and saying it? Where is the evidence that these are the only two solutions?

US Government:

We just gave you the evidence. We told you that COVID is dangerous and that these are the only possible solutions.

American People:

That's not evidence. That's you telling us that you have evidence. Where is the evidence supporting your conclusions?

US Government:

Would you like us to print out a transcript of us telling you this is dangerous and that these solutions are all that exist?