Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said during a press conference that not wearing a mask while being out in public is like driving while drunk and there is no Constitutional right to do either of those things.
"Well, it's sort of like saying, 'I have a Constitutional right to drive drunk. I have a Constitutional right to not wear a seatbelt,' or to yell 'fire' in a crowded movie theatre or to not follow the speed limit. We're talking about a quarter of a million people dying already. More than the Korean War, the Gulf War, and the Vietnam War added together," Hogan said.
"Which part do you not understand? Wear a mask. There's no Constitutional right to walk around without a mask. We did it in 1918, I don't know why we can't do it now," Hogan continued.
Gov. Hogan (R-MD) on resistance to mask requirement: “It’s sort of like saying, ‘I have a constitutional right to drive drunk’ … There is no constitutional right to walk around without a mask.” pic.twitter.com/TiONn5BG8c
— The Recount (@therecount) November 23, 2020
Hogan's comments come as Maryland has dispatched COVID-19 compliance teams, including "high visibility" state police, to ensure residents are adhering to the restrictions that have been put in place ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to WJZ.
"Businesses and individuals who blatantly violate the public health orders and refuse to follow state law are not only willfully endangering themselves, but their families, friends, and neighbors as well," Hogan said, adding that gatherings with friends before or after Thanksgiving, in addition to family gatherings, are "reckless."
