Liberals have taken to social media to express outrage after a Trump-appointed federal judge lifted the CDC’s mask mandate on airplanes that had been in place for two years
As Slay News first reported Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Florida lifted the mandate that forced travelers to wear masks on all public transportation.
“When I bought my tickets for me, my wife (who is pregnant), and our unvaccinated 4-year-old, I assumed you would continue to have a mask mandate,” Dr. Jeremy Faust tweeted shortly after the mandate was lifted.
“Now you cancel it and we will have to board our return flight under your new no mask required policy?! Thanks so much.”
Hi @united.
When I bought my tickets for me, my wife (who is pregnant), and our unvaccinated 4-year-old, I assumed you would continue to have a mask mandate.
Now you cancel it and we will have to board our return flight under your new no mask required policy?!
Thanks so much.
— Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) April 18, 2022
Faust went on to accuse United Airlines of “pretty much” saying “it’s cool” if children under five years old who can’t receive the coronavirus vaccine die from the virus on airplanes.
Thanks @united.
The idea of not waiting until “vaccine for all” (including kids under 5) is pretty much you just saying it’s cool if a few kids die so that you don’t have to enforce this for another month or two. https://t.co/mMfd0i5smK
— Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) April 18, 2022
Epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding tweeted that the coronavirus pandemic is not “over” and called for a boycott of Alaska Airlines, which he suggested is an “idiot airline”, until the company implements its own mask mandate.
I will not be flying @AlaskaAir until they reinstate public safety measures against #COVID19. #boycottAlaskaAir. https://t.co/XYqKaraaWE
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 18, 2022
“Sitting for several hours in a tight, enclosed space with 200 coughing, breathing, sneezing strangers?” Writer Charlotte Clymer tweeted.
“Yeah, I’m gonna keep wearing my mask on flights for the foreseeable future, and that’s all I have to say about that.”
Sitting for several hours in a tight, enclosed space with 200 coughing, breathing, sneezing strangers?
Yeah, I'm gonna keep wearing my mask on flights for the foreseeable future, and that's all I have to say about that.
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) April 19, 2022
United Airlines was hit with a barrage of tweets from social media users upset that the company announced it would no longer require masks.
“I’m so frustrated,” one user wrote.
“We have tickets to fly this weekend, which felt like a tolerable risk only because everyone is required to wear a mask.
“Now we have to sit in a tube with 200 people (some of whom will certainly be + for Covid) and risk getting sick, or cancel our trip. Pissed.”
I'm so frustrated. We have tickets to fly this weekend, which felt like a tolerable risk only because everyone is required to wear a mask. Now we have to sit in a tube with 200 people (some of whom will certainly be + for Covid) and risk getting sick, or cancel our trip. Pissed
— Janet Meyer (@BldrJanet) April 19, 2022
If youre dropping this on customers with no prior notice I sincerely hope you are allowing full refunds for those who dont feel comfortable with being on a plane full of maskless strangers. We are in a gd pandemic, wearing a mask on a plane shouldnt be a choice but requirement.
— Chloe Stewart- Available for Work! (@stewy_art) April 19, 2022
Others turned their attention to Judge Mizelle, offering sharp criticism of her record and questioning her qualifications as a judge.
“Mizelle’s alleged qualification for the bench?” Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern tweeted.
“Her clerkships with conservative judges.
“That was enough for Senate Republicans.
“Now she’s issuing nationwide injunctions that affect millions of Americans’ health and safety.
“No sane democracy would permit this system of governance.”
Mizelle's alleged qualification for the bench? Her clerkships with conservative judges. That was enough for Senate Republicans. Now she's issuing nationwide injunctions that affect millions of Americans' health and safety. No sane democracy would permit this system of governance.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) April 18, 2022
“Today a federal judge called it overreach for US health officials to require masks on airplanes & other public transit, and no matter how you feel about masks, you should be really, really concerned that the Courts are effectively taking away power from the federal government,” Massachusetts Democrat State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa tweeted.
Today a federal judge called it overreach for US health officials to require masks on airplanes & other public transit, and no matter how you feel about masks, you should be really, really concerned that the Courts are effectively taking away power from the federal government.
— Lindsay Sabadosa (@SabadosaMA) April 18, 2022
“The decision by the young Trump-appointed federal judge ending the mask mandate in travel shows the federal judiciary has turned into the Senate,” CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin tweeted.
“Democratic and Republican judges live in different worlds and rule differently.”
The decision by the young Trump-appointed federal judge ending the mask mandate in travel shows the federal judiciary has turned into the Senate. Democratic and Republican judges live in different worlds and rule differently.
— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) April 19, 2022
Judge Mizelle determined in her ruling that the mask mandate violated the Administrative Procedure Act by being outside the scope of the CDC’s authority, was “arbitrary” and “capricious” and not going through the required notice and comment period for federal rulemaking.
Following the ruling, both Amtrak and Uber announced they would also be lifting their mask mandates.
The White House referred to the ruling as “disappointing” and urged Americans to continue wearing masks on mass transit.
