Marco Rubio self-owns in tweet condemning U.S. defense secretary for 'embarrassing COVID theatre'
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has played himself (or so it seems).
On Thursday, Rubio tweeted a video of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wearing both a face mask and a face shield while disembarking a plane in the Philippines. Rubio slammed the gesture as "embarrassing COVID theatre."
But what many, including Politico's Dave Brown, pointed out, however, is that the Philippine government reportedly mandates "that everyone must wear full-coverage face shields together with face masks while in public places," something Rubio's tweet neglected to note (whether or not the omission was intended is unclear).
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That said, by wearing both the mask and the face shield, Austin is simply doing what is required of him as a visitor — nothing "embarassing" about it.
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Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
