President Biden hosted hundreds of guests on the White House lawn Friday to celebrate Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court — despite a spate of COVID-19 infections among his inner circle.

The event, described as “huge” in size by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, went ahead despite the fact that Biden bashed his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for hosting “super-spreaders” after a much smaller 2020 Rose Garden event for then-Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Members of Congress, Jackson’s family and an array of influential Democrats sat shoulder-to-shoulder in lawn chairs without social distancing despite the respiratory virus’ surge among DC’s elite.

Psaki told reporters afterward that “we did the historic event today outside. That was in part to ensure that we could have a huge number of people on the South Lawn celebrating.”

The press secretary acknowledged that it was possible that Biden, who turns 80 this year, could test positive for the virus in the coming days.

“The president may at some point test positive for COVID,” Psaki said, adding that “even with the president being double boosted, he could still test positive for COVID — just as many people in the White House have, just as many people in the press corps have.”

Psaki also defended Harris’ decision to flout policies that require mask-wearing by those who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of being in “close contact” with an infected person.

“The CDC says for people exposed to COVID [who are] up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, do not go to places where you are unable to wear a well-fitting mask,” Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asks. “So why is she here at the White House today giving the new Supreme Court justice a big hug with no mask?”

“She was outside,” Psaki answered.

“Does the CDC say that people who are a close contact can give people hugs outside?” Doocy followed up.

“You can benefit significantly being outside,” Psaki shot back, adding that Harris wore a mask indoors when socializing with Biden and Jackson Friday morning.

In his remarks on the lawn, Biden praised Jackson and slammed Republican senators for their at-times contentious grilling of Jackson on matters such as her sentences in child pornography cases.

“I knew the person I nominated would be put through a painful and difficult confirmation process,” Biden said. “But I have to tell you, what Judge Jackson was put through was well beyond that — the verbal abuse, the anger, constant interruptions, the most vile, baseless assertions and accusations. In the face of it all, Judge Jackson showed the incredible character and integrity she possesses.”

The Senate voted 53-47 on Thursday to confirm Jackson as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She will replace retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer. All 50 Democrats and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah voted to confirm her.

Jackson said in an occasionally emotional speech on the White House lawn that “it has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we’ve made it.”

The judge, who dabbed tears from her eyes while speaking, said that “in my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court of the United States.”

“I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models — generations of Americans who never had anything close to this kind of opportunity, but who got up every day and went to work, believing in the promise of America, showing others through their determination, and yes, their perseverance that good, good things can be done in this great country,” she said.

Biden told his audience Friday that he had spoken hours earlier with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and told him that Jackson would be the first black woman on the Supreme Court “out of over 200 judges” who have held the lifetime post, misstating the total number of justices since 1789. In fact, Jackson will be the 116th member of the high court.

The president also offered awkward praise for the African American judge’s brother, a former police officer, telling him, “Stand up, man. This is a man who looks like he can still play, buddy. He’s got biceps about as big as my calves.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and a number of senior Biden aides were unable to attend the event after testing positive for COVID-19 this week.

A large number of infections are linked to this past Saturday’s white-tie Gridiron Club dinner. First lady Jill Biden’s spokesman Michael LaRosa disclosed Friday that he tested positive after attending the gala.

Pelosi tested positive Thursday after she attended White House events with Biden on Tuesday and Wednesday. The White House claimed that she was not a “close contact” of the president despite the fact that Biden kissed Pelosi on the cheek Tuesday before the House speaker hovered over his shoulder during a bill-signing Wednesday.

Biden skipped the Gridiron dinner to visit his home in Wilmington, Del., where he often hosts his sister, Valerie Biden Owens. The president’s sibling revealed her own COVID diagnosis Thursday, but her publisher said she was not a close contact, though it’s unclear if she socialized with him in the past week.

Biden’s advanced age puts him at elevated risk of serious illness or death, even though he has received four doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, which can reduce the severity of symptoms.

Trump fell ill with COVID-19 after hosting the event honoring Barrett and was hospitalized for three nights at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

It’s unclear what would happen if Biden were to contract the virus, and Psaki said Friday that he is not taking any prophylactic medications to preempt infection.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser also tested positive this week, as did Collins and a large number of journalists who attended the Gridiron dinner.

Biden has repeatedly dodged the virus, which has killed almost 1 million US residents, despite many infections over the past month both in his inner circle and among other prominent national Democrats. 

Since mid-March, the virus has infected second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Barack Obama, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Psaki, deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and at least seven House Democrats who attended a convention at which Biden spoke.

US coronavirus cases remain much lower than the height of the Omicron variant surge in January, but the seven-day rolling average shows a small increase this week as more people catch the BA.2 subvariant.