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Maskless Joe Biden laughs off pandemic guidance despite first lady having Covid

  • The US president has raised eyebrows for not wearing a mask at at least two events soon after wife Jill Biden had her positive diagnosis
  • The incident drew attacks from right-wing media, with Fox News accusing Biden of ‘hypocrisy’ for breaching guidelines his spokeswoman said he’d follow

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US President Joe Biden holds up a face mask while speaking at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

When Joe Biden was criticised this week for failing to mask up after his wife caught Covid-19, he didn’t just put a brave face on it.

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Rather, the 80-year-old US president did it again – and then flaunted the fact that he was breaking the guidance.

And by laughing it off the Democrat, who is running for re-election in 2024, showed he was in touch with Americans who are fed up with the pandemic.

Biden first raised eyebrows on Tuesday by removing his mask while draping the Medal of Honour around the neck of an octogenarian Vietnam war veteran at the White House. Just hours earlier aides had said he would obey US masking guidelines following his wife Jill’s positive diagnosis on Monday, including wearing one around others.

US President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honour to retired US Army captain Larry Taylor at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
US President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honour to retired US Army captain Larry Taylor at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

But Biden went further on Wednesday, waving a black mask in the air as he sauntered in to deliver a speech on a dockworkers deal.

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