Two Southern governors announced their plans to virtually remove all COVID-19 mandates in their states earlier this week, prompting criticism from health experts and President Joe Biden. The president’s scathing comments about the decisions in Mississippi and Texas have vexed some officials in those states.
On Wednesday, Biden referred to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift mask mandates as “a big mistake.” He went on to add that “the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking,” in reference to the governors’ mandate reversals.
Reeves was one of the first to respond to the president’s comments, saying he found the statement insulting to Americans.
“Mississippians don’t need handlers. As numbers drop, they can assess their choices and listen to experts. I guess I just think we should trust Americans, not insult them,” Reeves wrote in a tweet Wednesday.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley told Fox News on Thursday that the president’s words contradict his statements supporting unity among Republicans and Democrats.
“What a uniter Joe Biden is. You know this is Mr. Unity. And yet if you disagree with him, you’re a Neanderthal,” the senator told Fox News on Thursday.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, also fired back at Biden for what he called discouraging “freedom of choice.”
Though the statements seemed to rile some Republicans on Wednesday, the president’s sentiments that masks are still necessary align with those of some of the nation’s top infectious disease experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top health adviser on COVID-19.
“It’s just inexplicable why you would want to pull back now,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Wednesday. “I understand the need to want to get back to normality, but you’re only going to set yourself back if you just completely push aside the public health guidelines.”
Biden received some support on Twitter for denouncing the mask decisions.
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