
Climate czar John Kerry is under fire after he was spotted without a mask on board a flight, prompting American Airlines to investigate the matter.
Critics have blasted Kerry for hypocrisy after he was photographed without a mask by a fellow passenger while on a flight from Boston to DC on Wednesday.
He was not eating or drinking at the time, thereby violating President Joe Biden’s federal mask mandate.
The Tennessee Star first posted the image showing the so called special climate envoy wearing his mask hanging off one ear as he read a book in first class.
I remember when a family was kicked off a plane with cheers because their 18 MONTH OLD was not wearing a mask.#RulesForTheeNotForMe
— Jenny Garcia Sharon (@jenny4congress) March 18, 2021
RT reports: Alerted to the photo, American Airlines vowed to “look into” the incident in multiple Twitter posts, also giving a separate statement to media outlets later on Wednesday evening noting that the company would contact Kerry to reiterate its mask policies.
SPOTTED: Liberal hypocrite & Biden Admin official @JohnKerry flouting @JoeBiden's Federal mask mandate.
NOTE: His mask is off & he isn’t eating or drinking. Will he be fined for breaking the law & banned from flying @AmericanAir like regular citizens would be?#LiberalPrivilege pic.twitter.com/3j7j57jXVI
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 17, 2021
“The crew did not observe Secretary Kerry without a mask, and they were not alerted by other customers to a non-compliance issue,” an airline spokesperson said. “We continue to review the matter and we are reaching out to Secretary Kerry to underscore that all customers are expected to wear masks for the duration of their trip.”
Masks are required on board our aircraft, and we are looking into this.
— americanair (@AmericanAir) March 17, 2021
The airline’s apparently permissive attitude toward the high-profile politician differs sharply from its treatment of its less powerful customers, booting a family of 20 off a flight earlier this year for a minor mask infraction.
Seven hours later and American Airlines is still trying to figure out if John Kerry isn’t wearing a mask in that picture of him not wearing a mask. https://t.co/YycAeliCyx
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) March 18, 2021
The passenger who snapped the hot-button photo, who asked not to be named, told Fox News that Kerry had worn his mask before boarding the plane, but removed it soon after finding his seat and only put it back on later in the flight. They heaped mocking praise on the ex-secretary of state.
“I salute our Very Special Presidential Envoy for Climate for not flying private, but instead flying first class commercial with the rest of us common folk,” joked the passenger. “And while he can’t bring himself to follow his own party’s mask restrictions, we should cut him some slack.”
“Being an elite hypocrite is hard work!“
Kerry himself stepped in to address the controversy later on Wednesday night, rejecting the allegations as “malarkey” in a distinctly Biden-esque statement.
“Let’s be clear: If I dropped my mask to one ear on a flight, it was momentary. I wear my mask because it saves lives and stops the spread. It’s what the science tells us to do,” Kerry said.
