Ted Cruz Gives a Big 'Hell No' to Former Surgeon General's Suggestion for CDC

Leah Barkoukis | July 20, 2021 12:00 PM

With coronavirus cases on the rise in some locations due to the Delta variant, we're seeing mask mandates again become a topic of debate. Los Angeles County embraced the mask mandate again, for example, while New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is threatening to if more residents don't get vaccinated.

In a Twitter thread lamenting his previous position against masks early in the pandemic, President Trump's Surgeon General Jerome Adams explained it was due to the "science & conditions at the time." He also took on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance that fully vaccinated people don't need masks in most settings.

"What @CDCgov said was based on the science & conditions at the time, and amounted to 'you're safe IF you vax it OR mask it.' Both the conditions (rising cases) & the science (delta variant) changed, but what people heard and held to was masks were no longer needed," he tweeted. "Now you have health officials, cities & counties (eg LA County), & likely soon states issuing guidance in direct conflict w/ the mask guidance @CDCgov issued a month ago. The sooner CDC says we were wrong, & hits the reset button, the better. Trust me- I know more than anyone."

Now, he's calling on the CDC to advise Americans to "vax it AND mask it in areas with [an increase in] cases and positivity."

What Dr. Fauci and I said was based on the science & conditions at the time, and amounted to “save the medical masks (which were all that was available) for the medical workers.”

Both the conditions & the science changed, but what people heard and held to was masks don’t work…
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021

Now you have health officials, cities & counties (eg LA County), & likely soon states issuing guidance in direct conflict w/ the mask guidance @CDCgov issued a month ago. The sooner CDC says we were wrong, & hits the reset button, the better.

Trust me- I know more than anyone.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021

Instead of vax it OR mask it, the emerging data suggests CDC should be advising to vax it AND mask it in areas with ?? cases and positivity- until we see numbers going back down again.

CDC was well intended, but the message was misinterpreted, premature, & wrong. Let’s fix it.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2021

To that, Sen. Ted Cruz said: "Hell no."

Final important point- the best way to protect hospitals, health care workers, and communities from a delta surge, and obviate the need for new mitigation measures (including masks) is to strongly encourage vaccinations. Happy to partner with you on this!
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 18, 2021