A Democratic operative photographed Republican Sen. Ted Cruz without a mask on a flight over the weekend — prompting American Airlines to review the matter after the image was posted online, and went viral.
Cruz was snapped bare-cheeked Sunday — with a coffee in one hand and phone in the other — while flying with one of American’s domestic regional partners.
The pic was tweeted by Hosseh Enad, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee operative, who wrote, “Captured today at 10:45am — @TedCruz on a commercial flight, refusing to wear a mask,” The Hill reported.
Enad tweeted another photo of a maskless Cruz waiting to board the flight. It’s unclear which airport Cruz was flying to or from.
A Cruz spokesperson told the publication that the lawmaker had taken off his mask to sip his coffee — but put it back on afterward. Cruz always wears a mask while traveling and practices social distancing, the spokesperson insisted.
American Airlines — which requires all passengers to wear face masks on its flights — said it reached out to Cruz anyway.
“As we do in all instances like these, we reviewed the details of the matter, and while our policy does not apply while eating or drinking, we have reached out to Sen. Cruz to affirm the importance of this policy as part of our commitment to protecting the health and safety of the traveling public,” an American Airlines spokesperson said.