Katharine MacPhee joined Stacey Abrams’ opponents in lambasting her because she posed maskless with schoolchildren despite the mandate being in place.

McPhee posted the viral image of Abrams on Sunday to her Instagram Story. She smiled without a mask as she sat on the ground with a class full of children who were all wearing masks.

"What the hell... Politicians at their best. You don't need a mask to cover the children. McPhee wrote that the hypocrisy does not stop. "I'm certain she will reply, 'but I had mine in my hand!'

Abrams, however, had already responded to the backlash caused by the photo after sitting Georgia Governor Brian Kemp joined other conservatives in criticizing Abrams over the photo.

"It is shameful our opponents are using Black History Month reading events for Georgia children as an impetus for false political attacks, and it is pitiful und predictable that our enemies continue to look for opportunities for distraction from their failure records when it comes protecting public health during this pandemic," reads a statement from her campaign.
She said, "This pathetic and transparent attack is below anyone who claims to want to lead Georgia."

The effectiveness of masks in stopping the spread Omicron virus has been demonstrated. Everyone is encouraged to wear masks indoors and outdoors when large gatherings take place. Glennwood Elementary School was the site of Abrams' event. It currently has a county-wide mask mandate.
Abrams visited the school to kick off the third annual African American Read-in. She met with students and teachers. After the visit, Dr. Holly Brookins took to Twitter to post four photos, which were later deleted.