Sen. Ted Cruz slammed a lectern in fury on Tuesday as he accused the Biden administration of hypocrisy on COVID policy and railed agai...
Sen. Ted Cruz slammed a lectern in fury on Tuesday as he accused the Biden administration of hypocrisy on COVID policy and railed against a 'one-sided media' for only asking Republicans why they weren't wearing masks on Tuesday.
During a Republican press conference to discuss President Joe Biden's voter rights push, he was asked why he and his colleagues weren't wearing masks.
He said everyone appearing with him had been double vaccinated and boosted.
'And by the way, on the question of hypocrisy, you just asked, you people at the podium are speaking without masks.
'Just once, I'd like to see a reporter say to Joe Biden when he stands at the damn podium in the White House without a mask, "Mr. President, why aren't you wearing a mask?" he said, slamming the lectern with a fist to punctuate his remarks.
'Just once, I’d like to see you say to Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, when she stands at the podium with no mask, "Ms. Psaki, why don’t you have a mask?’
'The questions are only directed at one side, and I got to say that the American people see the hypocrisy.'
Sen. Ted Cruz was asked about the 'glaring visual' of a line of GOP senators standing before the media without masks during a news conference on Tuesday
He responded by slamming his hand on the lectern and railing against a media that only asked Republicans about masks, even though Joe Biden and Jen Psaki spoke to reporters unmasked
Cruz said: 'Just once, I’d like to see you say to Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, when she stands at the podium with no mask, "Ms. Psaki, why don’t you have a mask?’
He was responding to a question in which a reporter referred to the 'glaring visual' of a line of GOP senators standing before the media without masks.
Last week, the Attending Physician of the U.S. Congress advised staff to stay home as the highly infectious Omicron spread through members and their offices.
And Cruz made his comments a day after four lawmakers announced they had caught COVID-19, adding to four more - including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - who announced positive tests over the weekend.
AOC has attracted particular anger after photographs of her emerged showing her maskless in Florida, which has been the target of liberals' anger for its relaxed response to COVID-18.
Cruz has clashed repeatedly with journalists for declining to wear a mask after being vaccinated.
Last March, for example, a reporter asked him to don a face covering as he stepped up to talk to the media.
'Yeah, when I’m talking to the TV camera, I’m not going to wear a mask,' Cruz answered. 'All of us have been immunized, so...'
The reporter responded by telling him that that masking up would 'make us feel better,' to which Cruz said they were 'welcome to step away.'
And he said he was following guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - although fact checkers said the guidelines called for vaccinated people to continue taking precautions, such as wearing masks in public places indoors.
Last year he also led GOP senators in launching a bull to end federal mask mandates for vaccinated passengers on trains, planes and other forms of public transport.
Mask mandates have triggered angry confrontations between passengers and cabin crews on some flights.
Mask mandates have also been a source of friction between Republicans and school boards.
The CDC is currently weighing whether to change its guidance on masking and recommend that Americans wear higher grade face coverings, such as N95s or KN95s by health workers.
The highly transmissible Omicron variant has triggered a surge in infections and hospitalizations, as well as a debate over whether better protection is needed.
Last week, the US saw a record number of positive cases.
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