Topline
Stacey Abrams apologized Tuesday for appearing maskless in several photos last week at a Georgia elementary school in violation of local mask mandates, two days after the Democratic candidate in Georgia’s governor race dismissed the Republican-led firestorm about the images as a “false political attack.”
Stacey Abrams speaks during a church service in Norfolk, Va., Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
During a Tuesday night appearance on CNN, Abrams said she was sorry for not wearing a mask in pictures that went viral over the weekend where she posed with masked students and children at a Decatur, Georgia school, breaking the city’s indoor mask mandate.
Abrams called the maskless photos a “mistake,” explaining she took her mask off while reading to students while maintaining social distance and kept it off for the photo due to the “excitement” of the moment.
Her apology sparks a different tone than her first public comments on the matter: Abrams first addressed the controversy stoked by right-wing figures such as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a Sunday Instagram post, calling it a “pathetic, transparent and silly attack,” but did not provide an explanation for why she didn’t wear a mask.
Chief Critic
Kemp, who is running for re-election against Abrams, quickly latched onto the controversy, tweeting Saturday Abrams lets go of her support for mask mandates “when she’s attending a photo op.” His campaign already released an advertisement centered on the viral images, and Kemp called Abrams a “hypocrite” in his Tuesday tweet sharing the video.
Crucial Quote
Abrams said Tuesday: “I took a picture and that was a mistake. Protocols matter and protecting our kids is the most important thing. And anything that can be perceived as undermining that is a mistake and I apologize.”
Further Reading
Conservatives Blast Stacey Abrams For Maskless Photo-Op— She Calls A ‘False Political Attack’ (Forbes)
Stacey Abrams apologizes for posing maskless with elementary students: ‘That was a mistake’ (Washington Post)
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