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Republican Texas Congressman Chip Roy sparked blistering blowback with a profane response to President-elect Joe Biden’s pledge to enact a mask mandate on federal property on day one of his administration.
President-elect Biden tweeted a video message captioned “On day one, I’ll sign an executive order to require masks everywhere I can,” which presumably would include the Capitol complex.
On day one, I’ll sign an executive order to require masks everywhere I can. pic.twitter.com/ixUbTwHhPk
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 9, 2020
Roy responded by retweeting Biden, and adding “On day one I will tell you to kiss my ass.”
On day one I will tell you to kiss my ass. #StandUpForAmerica https://t.co/1Yqygxcu69
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 9, 2020
That response touched off blistering reactions from political figures, including Democratic New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On Friday, AOC wrote “Can’t tell you how weird it is to regularly watch my colleagues do and say things like this to little comment, but if I get a haircut or wear anything better than a rusty bucket to the Capitol then it’s considered a national scandal.”
Can’t tell you how weird it is to regularly watch my colleagues do and say things like this to little comment, but if I get a haircut or wear anything better than a rusty bucket to the Capitol then it’s considered a national scandal https://t.co/1rlVDOH0Pi
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 11, 2020
Roy later commented on AOC’s tweet, and tried to cast his remark as merely “colorful.”
Yes – @AOC is laughably tweeting offense at my telling @JoeBiden colorfully to pound sand if he thinks he’s going to mandate I wear a mask anywhere I don’t think it advisable / courteous to do so… and totally playing up this haircut absurdity! #2020 https://t.co/SNWndJMold
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 11, 2020
Minnesota Congresswoman and fellow Squad-member Ilham Omar weighed in Friday as well.
I am old enough to remember when there was a three day story on what Rashida said and we hear crickets when it comes to the way Republicans speak or behave. This double standard is exhausting and shameful. https://t.co/7cDmfdinpb
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 10, 2020
But journalists, media and political figures, and other prominent Twitter users lambasted Roy for a variety of reasons, including the disrespect he showed the office of the presidency and the raging pandemic that Biden’s mask mandate is intended to fight, to name just a few.
Wow. This is a Republican member of Congress talking like this to the president-elect, who is trying to help people not get sick and die.
cc: @GOPLeader https://t.co/dFJUYafJvm
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) December 10, 2020
Very mature tweet from a member of Congress https://t.co/qCe6MBA2TF
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) December 10, 2020
Chip Roy, keeping crass alive! A very irrational response to a common sense move to save American lives and protect our economy. https://t.co/DrqUY4NLaO
— Mike Collier (@CollierForTexas) December 10, 2020
2021 is gonna be a normal one https://t.co/zrkEHymkHd
— Forrest Wilder (@Forrest4Trees) December 9, 2020
This is–sadly, disgustingly–a member of U.S. Congress. Remember this when McConnell and the rest of the Cruz, Hawley, Cornyn clown car cries crocodile tears about a lack of civility and tries to blame Dems. https://t.co/UPr78gNA2s
— Cliff Schecter (@cliffschecter) December 10, 2020
The very serious decorum-respecting news media scolded Democrats for booing Trump at a baseball game for a week so I’m sure they’ll spend as much time and energy on this from a Republican congressman https://t.co/gADnugLs5e
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) December 10, 2020
Wait a minute, what happened to “respect the president?“
Oh, I get it, that only applies when klan offspring are in office. https://t.co/RLetRojfZU
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) December 11, 2020
Your family must be so proud of you. https://t.co/ujlGupBT1c
— Mark Joyella 🏳️🌈 (@standupkid) December 11, 2020
Anyway, Neera Tanden has some mean tweets, and that disqualifies her from the OMB director job. https://t.co/Yc2Iu2D4bZ
— German Lopez (@germanrlopez) December 11, 2020
Just a reminder, as you read this inane tweet from a Republican member of Congress insulting the President-elect, Republicans in Congress have the audacity to take issue with Neera Tanden’s tweets. These truly are the most ridiculous people. https://t.co/aix0FJUSMO
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2020
Remember when “impeach the motherf#%ker” was a national scandal?
I doubt the media holds this ass clown—who is telling the president-elect to kiss his ass over wearing a mask during a pandemic—to the same standard. https://t.co/ohNb6UCz4q
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) December 11, 2020
More Americans are dying every day from COVID-19 than died on 9/11, and the director of the CDC says this will continue for 60 to 90 days.
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