Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) was caught maskless at a Washington, D.C. cocktail bar Friday night, just hours before pulling out of Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe's door-knocking campaign scheduled for the following morning, in her latest violation of COVID-19 policies.
Video obtained by The Washington Free Beacon shows Whitmer maskless in the standing-room-only section of the crowded bar at the Hotel Washington.
A hotel employee told the news outlet that bar guests must wear face coverings when not actively eating or drinking, neither of which Whitmer was doing. Several people congregating near her, however, were wearing masks.
The governor was also in violation of Washington, D.C.'s local mask mandate, reinstated in July by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) amid a spike of coronavirus cases caused by the highly infectious delta variant. Restaurants and other establishments that fail to enforce Bowser's order face potential warnings, fines and the revocation of licenses.
Whitmer was previously expected to join Arlington Democrats on Saturday for McAuliffe's door-knocking campaign in Rosslyn, Virginia as the commonwealth's highly competitive gubernatorial race near a close, with election day a week away. Whitmer's campaign communications director Maeve Coyle said the governor was unable to attend the campaign event due to a "schedule change" and that her attendance had only been tentative.
The governor's maskless endeavor Friday night is just the latest instance in which she ignored COVID-19 rules. However, her previous moves were in violation of her own restrictions.
In May, Whitmer was caught maskless at a Michigan restaurant with 12 other guests despite the state's Department of Health and Human Services stating at the time that no more than six people can be seated together at a restaurant. And in March, she flew on a private plane to Florida despite telling residents of her state not to travel for spring break this year.