“The View” co-hosts ripped Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams for exempting the city mask mandate for “rich, powerful, and connected” athletes Friday.
Adams exempted athletes and performers from the city worker’s vaccine mandate Thursday. The announcement came shortly after the National Basketball Association (NBA) handed the Brooklyn Nets a $50,000 fine for allowing unvaccinated player Kyrie Irving into the locker room. The show played footage of the mayor saying the new exemption will put performers on a “level playing field” after being placed at an “unfair disadvantage.”
“Ok, so what about everyone else living in that hometown who got canned for not following mandates?” co-host Joy Behar asked. “Follow the money.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin said the mayor’s announcement was “creepy” and “unfair” as she said it rewarded those who violate the rules.
“I just think you’re just rewarding someone who just flouted the rules, and it seems like he’s adopting a double standard that favors famous people, famous athletes and other performers, millionaires over the everyday person, and I think it’s unfair,” she said. “And I think it’s a poor example. How about the 1,400 people that lost their jobs, are they getting their jobs back?”
Co-host Ana Navarro read Adams’ response as to whether the city would rehire unvaccinated employees, to which he said people who lost their jobs will not return to work “at this time” and the city was not reviewing the option to bring them back. (RELATED: ‘This Is An Invasion Of My Privacy’: Joy Behar Is ‘Totally Against’ Unvaccinated People Being Allowed Near Her)
“Well, sir, maybe you should,” Navarro said. “Because I think what gets stuck in people’s craws here is the unequal treatment. Something for the folks who are here, and something for folks who really need this paycheck and who are union workers who are feeding families. I think there needs to be rules for everyone, and that’s what we aspire to and that’s why it bothers people so much.”
Co-host Sara Haines said it was “shortsighted” to eliminate employment for unvaccinated workers without a “path for return.” She argued as the pandemic eases, policymakers have to strengthen the economy.
Navarro said the policy would work if Adams had a plan to rehire unvaccinated workers, but it is unfair to only exempt the “rich, powerful, connected” athletes and performers.