Just minutes later, the Morning Joe crew kicked around Biden’s remarks, Pat Buchanan expressing bemusement that we were still letting in planeloads from Mexico, and Joe Scarborough suggesting the White House will be under pressure today to either confirm or back away from Biden’s comment.

JOE BIDEN: I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now. It’s not Mexico, it’s a confined aircraft where one person sneezes and it goes all the way through the aircraft: that’s me. I would not be at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway. So, what it relates to is mitigation. If you’re out in the middle of a field and someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, that’s another thing.

Among the comments, most ominous was this one, explaining Biden’s dire advice, from NBC Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd: “You would assume that these guys know a little bit more than we know at this point.”