Stacey Abrams, Democratic candidate for governor, is in hot water after visiting an elementary and taking a photo of herself without makeup with a group of young kids. The school mandate required that all of them be covered.
To kick off the third annual African American Read-In, Abrams visited Glennwood Elementary school outside of Atlanta. She met with students and teachers. After the visit, Dr. Holly Brookins took to Twitter to post four photos of Abrams' visit. These included three photographs of Abrams wearing no mask despite Decatur City Commission having reinstated a mandatory masking law last month.
Abrams was seen sitting cross-legged on the ground, smiling while all the others behind her were wearing masks. Brookins was told by Abrams that she had tweeted the photo and that it was "spectacular and delightful."
Brookins' Twitter account has been deactivated, and Abrams' quote Tweet is no longer on her account. However, this hasn't stopped the backlash from spreading across social media.
Rich Lowry, National Review editor, tweeted: "Confirmation, If Any, that Stacey Abrams Is a Member of the Democratic Elite in Good Standing--mask Hypocrisy is practically A Status Symbol Now."
"Stacey Abrams demands state government mask mandates to Georgians, and their children," Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp wrote. It seems like they won't apply to her when she attends a photo op.
Clay Travis, founder of Outkick, tweeted that "the number left-wing politicians who post photos without masks while all around them are wearing masks" Stacey Abrams is doing it. This is child abuse.
Alex Thompson, a reporter at Politico White House, tweeted Sunday that he believes the Abrams image will appear in many Republican ads this election before the midterms.
Liesl Hickey, the co-founder of N2 America, a 501(c)(4) organization committed to "promoting and supporting center-right policies," slammed the Abrams picture in a tweet, saying the Democratic Party is "anti-children/anti-parents" and said "it is becoming more clear every single day." N2 America published an ad this week showing masked children watching Hollywood politicians hugging and kissing without wearing masks.
They see the joy. They see the joy. They see the pain. Democrats put children last. Teachers' unions put children last. "Tell them to give children their childhood back," said the captions of the ad.
In a Fox News statement, the Abrams campaign responded to critics of Abrams’ maskless photo by saying that "It is shameful our opponents are using Black History Month reading events for Georgia children as the impetus to a false political attack. It is pitiful, predictable that our enemies continue to seek out opportunities to distract attention from their failure records in protecting public health during this pandemic."
Fox News asked Abrams if she regretted not wearing a mask. She replied that her statement would speak for itself.
Abrams spokesperson stated that one of Stacey’s opponents minimized the virus and traded stock to profit from the pandemic. He did this after receiving private coronavirus briefings as Senator. "Another opponent of Stacey attacked mayors who sought to protect their citizens, and has failed expand Medicaid access even as rural hospitals close. This is a ridiculous, transparent, and stupid attack on anyone who claims to want to lead Georgia.
