‘I need to make sure that I am out there and visible through this crisis…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) After Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was criticized for violating her own shelter-in-place order to get a haircut, she defended the decision as necessary since she’s the “public face” of the city.
Illinois has ordered all non-essential businesses to close, including barber shops and hair salons, according to CBS-Chicago.
But that didn’t stop Lightfoot from getting a haircut, which she claims was “socially distanced,” despite the fact that she and the hairdresser were standing just inches apart, according to a photo uploaded to the hairdresser’s Facebook page (the post has since been removed).
“I am practicing social distancing,” Lightfoot claimed. “The woman who cut my hair had a mask and gloves on. So, I’m practicing what I’m preaching.”
But after initially denying that she had broken the statewide order, the mayor quickly dialed back her claim.
“We are trying to do everything we can to emphasize the messages around social distancing, washing your hands, staying at home,” she claimed. “But as [an] elected official and the public face of the city, I need to make sure that I am out there and visible through this crisis.”
Just weeks ago, Lightfoot scolded Chicago’s residents for continuing to partake in “non-essential activities.” In fact, in one of her public service announcements, Lightfoot said, “Getting your roots done is not essential,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
When asked why this rule was different for her, Lightfoot, who was “visibly annoyed,” responded: “I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I’m a person who, I take my personal hygiene very seriously. As I said, I felt like I needed to have a haircut. I’m not able to do that myself, so I got a haircut.”
Chicago residents blasted Lightfoot for setting a “bad example for our city.”
Really? She is under no obligation to look good on national TV. She is under no obligation to book national interviews. But she is under an obligation to follow and promote social distancing in order to save lives. This is a bad example for our city.
— Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa? (@CDRosa) April 6, 2020
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a fellow Democrat, said he couldn’t speak to why Lightfoot decided she needed a haircut, but he noted he hasn’t had a trim since he implemented Illinois’s shelter-in-place order.
“I’m going to turn into a hippie at some point,” he said.