President Biden on Tuesday wore a face mask to a meagerly joined in, outdoor press event at the White House — where he hailed new CDC guidelines killing the requirement for face covers at such social occasions.
The president’s appearance on the North Lawn was intended to proclaim the facilitated mask limitations for individuals — like himself — who are completely vaccinated.
In the wake of strolling to the platform in the dark face covering, Biden took it off and said, “Beginning today, in case you’re completely vaccinated and you’re outdoors, you need — and not in a major group — you at this point don’t have to wear a mask.”
The president was subsequently asked by a correspondent what sort of message he was sending by wearing his mask even to the platform.
“By watching me take it off and not set it back on until I get inside,” the president answered.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on the issue at a later media instructions — including about whether the president would show up more habitually without his mask.
“Absolutely, he’ll be following public health guidelines,” she said. “So I think you saw him outside today, he took the mask off. He didn’t return the mask on. It will require some investment to change and adjust for us all.”
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had faint recognition for the administration over the mask declaration.
“I’m happy the CDC at last recognized what has been clear for quite a while, which is that wearing a mask outside is senseless and not distantly advocated by the science,” said Cruz, whose state nixed mask-wearing early a month ago — and still can’t seem to see an uptick in cases.
“Again and again the CDC, particularly under the Biden administration, has been driven by politics and not science,” Cruz said.