By Anthony Faust Published on June 22, 2023

Politicians Caught Going Against Their Own Social Distancing Guidelines

Nancy Pelosi getting her hair done in a salon breaking the COVID-19 protocols — Artwork by Anthony Faust

It's truly a sight to behold when our leaders practice what they preach. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was nobody louder or more sanctimonious at preaching than Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. As it turned out, they weren’t quite as good at the practicing part.

It turned out that some of our nation's most vocal supporters of COVID-19 regulations and guidelines were caught breaking those very same rules they made sure everyone else was following.

Take for example, Nancy Pelosi. She previously advocated a nationwide mask mandate and criticized President Donald Trump for not wearing his mask in public. In September 2020, she was caught on camera breaking San Francisco’s rule banning indoor hair salons, and she wasn’t wearing her mask at the time. She plead ignorant to the rule and said she went by what the stylist told her was acceptable.

Meanwhile, in December 2021, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who staunchly supported mask and vaccine mandates and railed publicly on how irresponsible Florida was being by loosening their restrictions, was seen having a maskless meal in Florida, an irony that was not lost on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He couldn’t resist when he tweeted:

“Welcome to Florida, AOC! We hope you’re enjoying a taste of freedom here in the Sunshine State”.

And finally, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who pushed for the most restrictive state rules and Covid closures, also got busted. In November 2020, he was caught breaking one of his own rules he pushed for, by dining with a large group of friends at The French Laundry, one of the swankiest restaurants in the country.

Newsom was criticized for the dinner, and eventually was recalled as governor. He apologized soon after the photos surfaced, saying he needed "to preach and practice, not just preach and not practice."

For these politicians, the policy remained, “Rules for thee, not for me.”