President Joe Biden was spotted maskless on Friday night at the Imperfecto restaurant in Washington, DC, despite admitting he caught a cold during a coughing fit at a news conference earlier in the day.
A maskless Biden, who has a nasty cold, speaks to people as he leaves a fancy D.C. restaurant last night. Despite Biden’s lecture on indoor mask wearing, the press pool reports Biden was not, in fact, wearing a mask indoors. pic.twitter.com/n2x7dGWCoK
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) December 4, 2021
BBC correspondent Tara McKelvey reported on Twitter that her colleague, Bloomberg's Justin Sink, witnessed Biden inside the establishment without a mask. "Outside, in front of the cameras, he wore one," McKelvey tweeted.
The president goes out: I was with the press pool, and we waited outside Imperfecto restaurant
— Tara McKelvey (@Tara_Mckelvey) December 4, 2021
for him. My colleague @justinsink says he saw him inside the restaurant through a window, and the president was not wearing a mask. Outside, in front of the cameras, he wore one. pic.twitter.com/OYeUhDW7Sz
The president's scheduled address on November's jobs report sounded husky and lower than its normal pitch. Biden was questioned about his apparent sickness during his remarks about the economy. He told reporters that "it's just a cold."
When asked if he's okay by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy and why he has a raspy voice, the ill president pointed to his grandson Beau Jr. "who likes to kiss his pop."
Biden's doctor Kevin O'Conner further explained the voice change in a statement about the president's health: "As is readily apparent, the president is experiencing some increased nasal congestion this week. This can be heard in his voice and he is feeling the colloquially well-known 'frog in one's throat.'"
O'Connor said an investigation was comprised of a comprehensive respiratory panel including 19 common respiratory pathogens, COVID-19, other coronaviruses, influenza, and streptococcus. All of the tests were negative.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has insisted that Biden is following proper COVID-19 protocols and will be forging ahead with all public appearances, which included an outing to the 44th Annual Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements Sunday. Psaki said Biden was tested for COVID-19 more often than usual, three times the past week, because of his cold symptoms. She noted he's taken over-the-counter cold medication as well as cough drops and tea.
Washington had lifted its indoor mask mandate last week, but the White House has maintained that indoor masking regulations should return amid the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the United States.
It's also not first time a member of the Biden family has been busted for maskless behavior, when others are required to mask up and social distance. First Lady Jill Biden was filmed reading while unmasked to a group of masked children Tuesday.
Last weekend, Biden was also caught disobeying an indoor mask mandate as he shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend in Nantucket. A large "Face Covering Required" sign could be seen on the front door of Murray's Toggery Shop.
Biden was also caught maskless dining inside the upscale Fiola Mare restaurant in Washington in violation of the district's mask mandate back when the jurisdiction still required all indoor diners to wear a mask unless they're eating and drinking.
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