Governor Murphy once again changed the standard for mask wearing at a Monday press availability, reiterating that the importance of masking changes depending upon whom you’re with.
Murphy made his comments when asked about recent instances when the Democrat incumbent decided to not wear masks indoors when surrounded by political allies.
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“On Wednesday, you said that you went to a political event and you were not wearing a mask indoors because everyone there was fully vaccinated. Well, hours after you said that, you went to the Monmouth County Chairman’s dinner and you didn’t wear a mask,” News12’s Alex Zdan asked Murphy. “You were in front of a packed ballroom of people. Are you saying that you knew the vaccination status of every single person in that room? And can you understand folks who were questioning why your mask wearing depends on the audience? And in fact, here, why are we still wearing masks during this briefing?”
“You’re not wearing one,” Zdan continued. “You’re fully vaccinated. I’m fully vaccinated. I’d bet my bottom dollar everyone in this room is fully vaccinated. Are we just doing this for show here?”
“I love the way you asked these,” fired back Murphy. “We have a requirement in the state. For viewers who don’t see, we walk in wearing these. We leave wearing these. We take them off to speak. We’re six feet apart from each other. We’re in a state building and that’s still a requirement. So that’s the specific answer to why we have them here. And I hope that won’t last forever and always. Trust me, I don’t like wearing them any more than you do.”
“I don’t think anyone in this state wears a mask indoors more than I do. When I speak, I take my mask off. I sat at a table in that second event with people who I know were vaccinated. I knew who I was sitting with,” Murphy added. “I got up and spoke. I had it on when I came in and I put it on when I left. These are folks… Not you, because I think you call balls and strikes, but if folks are reaching for straws here in terms of the politics and I’ll leave it at that.”
.@PhilMurphyNJ at today’s briefing: it’s okay for me to be maskless when I sit next to my vaccinated friends.
(but not you! hehe) pic.twitter.com/n06K5cjMTW
— New Jersey GOP (@NJGOP) October 18, 2021
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