Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried got raked over the coals by fellow progressives on Twitter after posting a photo of herself maskless on an airplane.
“Peace out to the TSA mask mandate, but also peace and respect to others, whether wearing a mask or not,” she tweeted, along with a selfie while holding up the peace sign.
Peace out to the TSA mask mandate, but also peace and respect to others, whether wearing a mask or not. pic.twitter.com/rqT9xPRsq6
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) April 20, 2022
Of course, people disagreed with her decision.
“So disappointing, Nikki. You should be a better example to others and protect the vulnerable people on that plane. I was all set to support, donate and campaign for you, but this [is] a bad look and it gives me a huge amount of pause,” one user tweeted.
So disappointing, Nikki. You should be a better example to others and protect the vulnerable people on that plane. I was all set to support, donate and campaign for you, but this a bad look and it gives me a huge amount of pause 🙁
— Stefanie Iris Weiss 🌻 (@EcoSexuality) April 20, 2022
“Commissioner Fried, countless physicians have expressed alarm in the past 24 hours over why a basic public health measure was nuked by one of the rare federal judges to be deemed ‘unqualified’ by the ABA and this is your response. It’s disappointing. I will not be donating again,” liberal activist Charlotte Clymer said.
Commissioner Fried, countless physicians have expressed alarm in the past 24 hours over why a basic public health measure was nuked by one of the rare federal judges to be deemed "unqualified" by the ABA and this is your response. It's disappointing. I will not be donating again.
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) April 20, 2022
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mandate was shot down by Trump-appointed Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, and most public transportation hubs and providers made masks optional within hours. Fried banks on the hatred of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) for campaign fuel, but she clearly does not mind when conservative leadership prevails once in a while.
Many leftists do not want people to have a choice on mask-wearing, especially on airplanes. Fried is trying to win a race where DeSantis is very popular, so she is making a modest attempt at finding some degree of common ground with Republicans and Independents. Nobody should take the bait.
“I’ll read all your takes, but the mandates are dropped, vaccines are working, things are getting back to normal, and it’s okay for a Democrat to say it — because we made it possible. I love y’all,” she said in response to the sharp criticism she received.
I'll read all your takes, but the mandates are dropped, vaccines are working, things are getting back to normal, and it's okay for a Democrat to say it — because we made it possible.
I love y'all. 💜
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) April 20, 2022
While Fried could be considered a hyper-partisan in nearly every sense of the word, her dissent from other liberals on this issue shows how extreme the coronavirus pandemic has made Americans.
There is nothing prohibiting someone from wearing a mask on a flight if they feel unsafe, but this is less about public health and more about controlling human behavior. Fried seems to understand that the Biden administration, namely the CDC, should have ended this order already, and Democrats could have touted it as a victory. Instead, they kept extending it, and eventually, a conservative swooped in to save the day.
CNBC reported Wednesday afternoon that the CDC asked the Justice Department to fight back against the judge’s ruling, which would be unpopular with many travelers and transportation workers who have grown sick and tired of the mandates.
“CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings,” the agency said in a statement, according to the outlet.
As the coronavirus pandemic winds down, progressives will continue to eat their own, and Fried is only one example.
