Rep. Louie Gohmert aide suggests his staffers have been 'berated' for wearing masks


An aide to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is speaking out after the Texas Republican's coronavirus diagnosis.
Gohmert tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday after repeatedly refusing to wear a mask in Congress, as Politico previously reported, and he reportedly informed his staff of his diagnosis in person. Now, more details are emerging by way of an aide to Gohmert, who on Wednesday emailed Politico's Jake Sherman to reveal that the congressman "requires full staff to be in the office" despite the coronavirus pandemic "so that 'we could be an example to America on how to open up safely.'"
The anonymous aide went on to suggest that staffers in Gohmert's office have actually been discouraged from wearing masks, writing, "When probing the office, you might want to ask how often were people berated for wearing masks."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gohmert in a video statement on Wednesday claimed he has "worn a mask more the last week or two than I have in the whole last four months," but video showed him walking near Attorney General William Barr outside of a hearing on Tuesday with no mask on, and Barr is now set to receive a COVID-19 test. In his statement, Gohmert also baselessly floated the possibility that he could have contracted the virus from wearing a mask.
What the Gohmert aide describes may not be unusual on Capitol Hill, as Sherman reports that since publishing the aide's quotes, he's received "a flood of emails from Republican staffers who say they too are being forced to come to the Hill without a mask now."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Libya's 'curious' football cup, played in Italy to empty stadiums
Under The Radar 'Curious collaboration' saw Al-Ahli Tripoli crowned league champions in Milan before a handful of spectators
-
What taxes do you pay on a home sale?
The Explainer Some people — though not many — will need to pay capital gains taxes upon selling their home
-
Schools: The return of a dreaded fitness test
Feature Donald Trump is bringing the Presidential Fitness Test back to classrooms nationwide
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agency
Speed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts