Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti defended taking maskless photographs with former Lakers player Magic Johnson and San Francisco Mayor London Breed by claiming he held his breath while the pictures were taken at a press conference Wednesday.
Garcetti told reporters that “when people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath, and I put [my mask] here, and people can see that,” as he held up his mask. Garcetti defended his actions to during a press conference on safety protocols for the upcoming Super Bowl, which will be held in the SoFi Stadium, reported Deadline. (RELATED: California Gov. Newsom, Mayors Caught Maskless With Magic Johnson At Rams Game).
Hanging out at SoFi Stadium today! pic.twitter.com/XfotiRLGz9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 31, 2022
Garcetti went on to defend LA’s COVID-19 health orders, which stipulate that anyone at indoor events with more than 500 attendees or outdoor events with more than 5,000 attendees must be wearing a mask unless eating or drinking. At the peak of the pandemic, Garcetti cut power and water to homes and businesses of those suspected of breaching COVID-19 protocols across the city.
“I’ll take personal responsibility… if it makes you and everyone else happy — or even the photographs with people where literally I’m holding my breath for two seconds — I won’t even do that,” Garcetti told reporters.
Garcetti’s response was mocked online by some, including a comparison to former President Bill Clinton saying he “didn’t inhale” marijuana in the past.
Eric Garcetti hopes you’re dumb enough to believe that he held his breath every single time he took his mask off at the Rams game. pic.twitter.com/r4FQeE24FY
— Kevin Dalton (@NextLAMayor) February 3, 2022
As governor of Arkansas, Clinton was asked whether he had used illegal drugs while studying at Oxford University.
“But when I was in England I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale it, and never tried it again,” Clinton replied.