Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams drew criticism when she posed for a photo without a mask in a classroom of masked children.
Abrams was slammed on Sunday for what critics denounced as a hypocritical photo, particularly given the Democrat’s support for stringent COVID-19 protocols and some of her risk factors if she were to contract the virus.
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Some said Abrams’s refusal to wear a mask for the photo was evidence she was part of the “Democratic elite,” many of whom have also been photographed maskless despite their support for strict COVID-19 guidelines.
Confirmation, if any were needed, that Stacey Abrams is a member of the Democratic elite in good standing—mask hypocrisy is practically a status symbol now https://t.co/piZCWAfdyS
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) February 5, 2022
Stacey Abrams wants state government mask mandates for Georgians and their children.
But it looks like they wouldn’t apply when she’s attending a photo op. https://t.co/A7H8U6eXKS
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) February 6, 2022
DAVID PERDUE STATEMENT ON STACEY ABRAMS’ HYPOCRISY@DavidPerdueGA ?? pic.twitter.com/2h2nzBrZrG
— RSBN ?? (@RSBNetwork) February 6, 2022
The number of left wing politicians who post photos posing without masks while all the kids around them are wearing masks is stunning. Here is Stacey Abrams doing it. This is child abuse. pic.twitter.com/actF0YFGrz
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 6, 2022
Others cited Abrams’s apparent risk factors as evidence she should have been made to wear a mask rather than the children.
Stacey Abrams, who is obese and in the high risk category, not wearing a mask while children, who are in the lowest risk category, are all masked just about sums this whole pandemic up. pic.twitter.com/kLkj8nQ5xF
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) February 6, 2022
Why is the one person who’s truly at risk of COVID-19 infection the only one not wearing a mask? Trust the science!!! pic.twitter.com/xQo4W3InNi
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 6, 2022
The kids are all wearing masks, while the morbidly obese Stacey Abrams grins unmasked. This image encapsulates the cruelty and hypocrisy of the Covid era pic.twitter.com/KUh0aomyHL
— Dinesh D’Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 6, 2022
But Abrams pushed back on the criticism on Sunday, saying the attacks were “shameful.”
“It is shameful that our opponents are using a Black History Month reading event for Georgia children as the impetus for a false political attack,” wrote the Abrams campaign in response to the online outrage. “And it is pitiful and predictable that our opponents continue to look for opportunities to distract from their failed records when it comes to protecting public health during the pandemic.”
Abrams visited Glennwood Elementary School near Atlanta, Georgia, last week to help kick off the school’s third annual African American Read-in, then retweeted a picture posted by Glennwood principal Holly Brookins on Friday. The photo featured Abrams sitting among more than a dozen students without a mask, while all students and staff had masks on.
“Extraordinary way to kick off the 3rd Annual African-American Read-in at Glennwood and Black History Month,” tweeted Brookins in a now-deleted tweet on Friday. “Thrilled to host [Abrams], author of Stacey’s Extraordinary Words!”
Abrams thanked Brookins in a quote tweet, describing the school’s staff as “spectacular, delightful and outstanding.” While Brookins and Abrams both deleted the original tweets, the photo quickly spread across the internet and drew criticism from conservatives.
Brookins deleted her account after her post went viral.
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Abrams is running as the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2022 after her loss in 2018.
Under Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, Georgia recommends but does not require masking. As of Friday, the state had 7,101 confirmed daily cases and a seven-day moving average of 6,216.4, according to state records.
