President Biden should have worn a mask during his inauguration night visit to the Lincoln Memorial, in which he opted against wearing a mask just hours after signing an executive order mandating masks on federal property, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday.
“Yes, I think President Biden should wear a mask within the rules,” Cuomo said when asked by The Post.
Speaking during a virtual news conference in Albany, Cuomo noted, “I’m not wearing a mask now. You don’t always wear a mask if you can socially distance, etc., [have] partitions, etc.”
“But I think everybody should set a good example, all across the board.”
During Wednesday night’s inaugural celebration, C-SPAN showed the new commander-in-chief standing — without a mask — before the iconic statue of former President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, DC.
The incident took place after Biden publicly signed an executive order for a “100 Days Masking Challenge” that requires masks and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands and by federal employees and contractors during the first 100 days of his administration.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed a question about Biden’s move, saying he was “celebrating an evening of a historic day” and has “bigger issues to worry about.”
Cuomo said Friday he “missed” the telecast and was unaware that Biden hadn’t worn a mask there, but added: “I think President Biden has, all through his campaign, all through his public appearances, he has been a phenomenal example of wearing a mask.”
“Every public appearance I’ve seen, he comes up to the microphone and he has a mask. He takes the mask off. In public, he has the mask,” Cuomo said.
“I don’t know about the Lincoln Memorial but this is a dramatic contrast to [former] President Trump, who was the exact opposite.”