‘For Crying Out Loud…’ West Virginia Republican Governor Defends Mask Mandates, Warns ‘We Need to Be a Little More Cautious’

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) defended the ongoing need for mask mandates as some other Republican governors have started to roll them back.

On CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday, Margaret Brennan asked about how he has eased some business restrictions while keeping the mandate in place.

“How do you respond to those in your party who say masks violate their rights?” Brennan asked.

“I think that’s ridiculous,” Justice said.

He said he doesn’t like masks — “nobody likes a mask” — but emphasized “we need to be a little more cautious.”

“For crying out loud, if we could be a little more prudent for 30 more days or 45 more days or whatever it took for us to get on rock-solid ground, that’s the approach West Virginia is going to take,” the governor added.

When asked about vaccine hesitancy, Justice said convincing people is about trust and transparency.

“When we tell our people over and over and over… I tell them this almost every day, for crying out loud, do you really think you’re going to take the vaccine and grow antlers? I mean, come on, just look at all the medical knowledge that’s around you and everything. You’ve got to be taking the vaccines and they are,” he added.

You can watch above, via CBS.