Ted Cruz Throws Down With a Reporter Who Asks Him to Mask Up: ‘You’re Welcome to Step Away’
A tense exchange played out at a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got into it with a reporter who asked him to put on a mask.
The confrontation happened as Cruz stepped up to a bank of microphones with several of his Republican colleagues.
“Would you mind putting on a mask for us?” A reporter asked.
“Uh, yeah, when I’m talking to the TV camera, I’m not going to wear a mask,” Cruz shot back. “All of us have been immunized.”
The reporter pressed.
“It’d make us feel better,” he said.
Cruz was none too sympathetic.
“You’re welcome to step away if you’d like,” the senator replied. “The whole point of the vaccine, CDC guidance is what we’re following.”
Cruz was incorrect to claim that he was following CDC guidance for those who have been vaccinated.
“You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces,” the official guidance states. “Take these precautions whenever you are … in public.”
Still, some critics noted that the reporter’s outrage seemed to be selective. At many Capitol Hill news conferences, speakers have opted not to wear a mask. And over at the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki has not been masked up during the daily briefing.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
