OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
For most first families, there are times that go beyond politics but not for this first family, the one that promised to be a unifier.
First lady Jill Biden is purportedly hosting what is supposed to be a non-partisan get-together of congressional spouses at the White House but part of the rules read like a petty jab to members of Congress who do not support her husband, President Joe Biden.
The wife of Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Erika Donalds, posted a snippet of the rules on her Twitter and the COVID-19 protocols were very strict.
“First Lady Jill Biden was kind enough to invite me & the other Congressional spouses to a reception at the White House,” she said. “I just have to take a COVID test, & as an unvaccinated person (with natural immunity) I won’t be allowed to eat, drink, or talk to anyone. Should be a blast!”
First Lady Jill Biden was kind enough to invite me & the other Congressional spouses to a reception at the White House. I just have to take a COVID test, & as an unvaccinated person (with natural immunity) I won’t be allowed to eat, drink, or talk to anyone. Should be a blast! 🥂 pic.twitter.com/3guk1742BN
— Erika Donalds (@ErikaDonalds) March 21, 2022
The rules she posted said “Fully vaccinated guests are not required to wear a mask on the White House grounds. Guests who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask at all times, including abstaining from eating or drinking, and maintain at least 6 feet distance from others while on the White House grounds.”
One would think that the “party of science” would be aware of the fact that a fully vaccinated person can spread COVID.
And consider that last week the White House announced its 2022 tour schedule and the rules for random people to visit the White House were less stringent than the rules for the spouses of members of Congress.
“The White House will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation with guidance based on recommendations from the CDC, and other public health officials and medical experts, and reserves the right to adjust availability of the public tours as necessary to adhere to the latest health guidance,” the website said.
“Within the 10 days prior to the public tour, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has had any COVID-19 symptoms, or been in close contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, should stay home,” it said. “Face masks will be available when entering the White House complex for those who choose to wear them.”
And let’s also consider that Democrats have not been strict adherents to their own masking rules in the past.
In February, Democrat candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams posed with school children and in the photo, all of the children had their masks on but Abrams was maskless, Fox News reported.
Abrams visited Glennwood Elementary School outside of Atlanta this past week to kick off the third annual African American read-in, where she met with young students and teachers. The principal, Dr. Holly Brookins, took to Twitter after the visit to post four pictures on her Twitter account of Abrams’ visit, which included three pictures of Abrams without a mask, despite the Decatur City Commission reinstating a mandatory masking ordinance last month.
The picture that went viral was Abrams sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and smiling without a mask on while the dozens of children and adults behind her were all wearing masks. Abrams quote tweeted the picture and told Brookins that her visit was “spectacular, delightful, and outstanding.”
That same month photos emerged of Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom not wearing a mask at the Los Angeles Rams VS San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Game.
At a press conference, the governor defended himself by saying that he only took the mask off to have a sip of water, The New York Post reported.
“I was very judicious yesterday. Very judicious. And you’ll see in the photo that I did take, where Magic was kind enough, generous enough to ask me for a photograph, and in my left hand’s the mask and I took a photo,” the governor said.
“The rest of the time, I wore it as we all should. Not when I had a glass of water or a thing. And I encourage everybody else to do so. And that’s it,” he said.
“I was trying to be gracious. I made a mis–. I was trying to be gracious. I took the mask off for a brief second. I encourage people to continue to wear them,” he said.
And in January anonymous tipster sent a photo to The Daily Wire that showed the 83-year-old representative maskless on a United flight heading from Dulles Airport to Los Angeles International, even as the Federal Aviation Administration has a mandate that requires passengers to wear a mask during flights, The Daily Wire reported.
The source said that flight attendants hounded others on the flight to keep their masks on but only asked Rep. Waters to wear her mask one time.
“Maxine had her mask off for at least an hour while she read her paper and took a nap,” the source said. “Attendants brought her fresh coffee while she was napping and didn’t say a thing as three of them walked past and saw Maxine reading and then sleeping while she remained maskless.”
“My nose had bled pretty early into the flight, so I, later on, pulled my mask down below my nose to get some cooler air,” the source said. “Within a few minutes, a flight attendant informed me I had to put my mask back on over my nose, the right way, immediately.”
