Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz denied a request from a reporter to wear a mask during a press conference on Wednesday, and informed the reporter that they could “step back,” if they had a problem.
A reporter can be heard in the background asking Cruz if he would “mind putting on a mask,” for them, to which the senator denies the request by pointing out that as he is speaking directly into the camera, he will not wear a mask.
“All of us have been immunized,” Cruz points out to the reporter.
Cruz was speaking at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington D.C., where the senator discussed an upcoming Congressional Delegation trip to the southern border on Friday in order to witness firsthand what the ongoing immigration situation is like, according to KHOU 11.
A reporter asks Sen. @tedcruz to wear a mask:
“Yeah, when I’m talking to the TV camera, I’m not going to wear a mask. All of us have been immunized.” pic.twitter.com/LTPbfKgJdS
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 25, 2021
“You’re welcome to step away if you’d like,” Cruz points outs after the reporter tells him that if would make the crowd feel better if he wore his mask around them. (RELATED: Cruz: Republicans Need To Put American Workers Before Illegal Immigrants Or Risk Losing Voters)
“The whole point of a vaccine — CDC guidance is what we’re following,” Cruz adds.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while fully vaccinated people can “gather indoors without physical distancing or wearing masks” with “other people who are fully vaccinated,” and “unvaccinated people from one other household,” they should still wear masks and practice social distancing guidelines, particularly when they are in a public setting.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 21 mandating that masks be worn while on federal property and in federal buildings.