-360x180.jpg)
“It’s not a tumor” may be Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second-most-famous line, and the actor and former California governor weighed in on another health issue Thursday: The importance of wearing face masks.
“
“Anyone making it a political issue is an absolute moron who can’t read.”
”
Schwarzenegger tweeted his support for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order earlier in the day mandating face masks for anyone leaving their home, with rare exceptions, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“This is 100% the right move,” the onetime “Governator” said. “This will help us beat this terrible virus. The science is unanimous — if we all wear masks, we slow down the spread and can reopen safely. It’s not a political issue. Anyone making it a political issue is an absolute moron who can’t read.”
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, served as California’s governor from 2003-’11.
Before Thursday, California cities and counties had been free to make masks mandatory, but Newsom said he issued a statewide order because too many people have been going out mask-less as businesses reopen. California has seen a recent increase in coronavirus cases, especially in Southern California.
While face masks have become a political issue in the U.S., the science behind their effectiveness appears prettysolid. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public,” and notes “the cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.”
And for what it’s worth, Schwarzenegger isn’t the only action hero who’s not too cool for a mask, as this photo of Harrison Ford shows:
