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.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.