Stacey Abrams has apologized for going maskless while posing with masked children at a Georgia elementary school, as more photos surfaced of the unmasked Democrat.
Ms. Abrams, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor, said Tuesday night on CNN’s “OutFront” that keeping her mask off after reading to the schoolchildren from the podium 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,” she told host Erin Burnett.
Ms. Abrams said she took her mask off to read to the children Friday at Glennwood Elementary School in Decatur as part of an African American Read-In event because she wanted to be sure that students listening remotely could understand her.
“I approached the podium with my mask on. I followed the protocols. I told the kids I’m taking my mask off because I’m reading to kids who are listening remotely as well,” she said. “We were socially distanced. The kids were socially distanced from me. I told them that’s what I was doing. And in the excitement after I finished, because it was so much fun working with those kids, I took a picture, and that was a mistake.”
It turns out she took more than one picture. The Abrams campaign retweeted a since-deleted tweet showing the candidate posing unmasked in front of the masked children in one photo and the masked principal in another.
OutKick posted different photos Tuesday from the same event showing an unmasked Abrams sitting maskless behind the masked students, and posing in a group with seven masked faculty members.
“These new photos prove that Abrams spent the entire day maskless while the children remained masked up,” said OutKick.
“Protocols matter. Protecting our kids is the most important thing, and anything that can be perceived as undermining that is a mistake, and I apologize.” @staceyabrams shares the story behind photo of her without a mask at a school event. pic.twitter.com/58s4HqL6tO
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) February 9, 2022
In her CNN interview, Ms. Abrams said she would not support lifting the school mask mandates in Georgia, saying it was still too early.
“COVID hygiene is going to be a point of debate for a very long time, and we can only follow the science and follow our circumstances,” she said. “Unfortunately in Georgia, we’re not at a place where that conversation is ready because we have one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.”
Ms. Abrams has been accused of hypocrisy for violating the facial-covering rules despite her support for such mandates.
“Stacey Abrams wants state government mask mandates for Georgians and their children,” tweeted Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is seeking reelection. “But it looks like they wouldn’t apply when she’s attending a photo op.”
Ms. Abrams said it was also important for the governor to “set the right example,” although “we have different moments where we have to make decisions.”
“My responsibility, if I am lucky enough to be the next governor of Georgia, is to look at the science, to follow the protocols and to set the right example,” she said. “Right now, that example is that we wear masks whenever possible, but we recognize that we can’t be a hard line about this because situations change, and we have different moments where we have to make decisions.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.