Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) went maskless while playing basketball indoors Tuesday, shortly before lecturing residents about the need to wear one indoors.
One of Whitmer’s aides posted a video on social media of the governor shooting hoops with the Detroit Pistons:
Julia Pickett, whose title is “Senior Photographer/Videographer” for the governor, inadvertently posted the hypocrisy on Twitter to announce Whitmer had joined TikTok.
Just hours later, a grim-faced Whitmer lectured residents about wearing one while under the very conditions in which she was captured on film.
“Some of you might be wondering what’s with the masks, right? You thought that we didn’t have to wear masks anymore. Dr. J (Joneigh Khaldun, Whitmer’s medical adviser) has encouraged me to wear a mask when I’m indoors and among groups,” Whitmer said.
Michigan Rising Action noted the hypocrisy with a before-and-after video:
Whitmer, who was fully vaccinated in June, left the door open to another mandate.
“I do not anticipate another pandemic order, not in the near future and maybe not ever,” Whitmer said, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“The fact of the matter is we now know a lot about this virus, we’ve got vaccines. The best way to stay safe is to get vaccinated. I’m really, strongly encouraging everyone to do just that.”
The Free Press noted the governor “wore a mask before and after speaking at the event. She’s fully vaccinated and the event was in a large, semi-open space.”
“And that’s why all of us doing our part, getting vaccinated, wearing masks when we are inside and close together, is always going to be the smart thing to do so long as COVID is around,” Whitmer told the afternoon group.