Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has come under fire online after a photo featuring him and famous basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson emerged online.
The picture, posted on Johnson's official Twitter account, shows the basketball ace posing for a photo with Garcetti and San Francisco Mayor London Breed at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Despite the fact that California introduced a universal indoor mask mandate in December, and that the SoFi Stadium's policy requires all fans to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking, as Fox News points out, the trio in the picture are not wearing face masks.
The snap has angered many on social media, with one user remarking: “But I can't walk in a restaurant or store without a mask. Rules must be different for those who have money or work as a political person.”
“Where’s the mask?” inquired another. “Even the Mayor is maskless. Be a leader for the people like when you played and help put end to these nonsense mandates.”
During a press conference this week, Garcetti sought to defend his actions, according to Deadline.
When a reporter asked him about the photos, Garcetti said that he will “take personal responsibility” and added that, “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.”
He also reportedly defended LA's mask mandate, arguing that the region still suffers from a high rate of transmission.
Some netizens jokingly drew parallels between the response given by Garcetti and how Bill Clinton said in 1992 that he “didn't inhale” while experimenting with marijuana while studying in England.