US

Montana Governor Criticizes Biden’s ‘Name-Calling,’ Says The State Is Returning To Normal

Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said Friday that the state is returning to normal and criticized President Joe Biden’s “name-calling.”

“For a president that called for unity to degrade himself to name-calling doesn’t make any sense at all,” Gianforte said on Fox News’ “Fox And Friends.”

Gianforte said his administration is “working to protect our most vulnerable, we lifted the mask mandate, we prioritized taking care of the people that are in most need and we’re getting great results.”

“Hospitalizations are down and Montana’s open for business. We’re getting back to normal,” Gianforte said.

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Biden and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki criticized governors who ended their mask mandates earlier this week, claiming they ignored science.

“The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters,” Biden said Wednesday.

Biden said he’s hopeful everyone knows masks are effective and said the U.S. is on the verge of “fundamentally” altering the course of the pandemic due to the vaccines.

The president also said vaccines for every American adult would be available by May.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” Gianforte said Friday. “I trust Montanans with their own health and that of their loved ones. But we’ve gotta shift away from these impractical mandates, one-size-fits-all.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the state’s businesses can return to full operation March 10. Abbot also rescinded the requirement to wear masks in public, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves also tweeted that Mississippi’s businesses can start fully operating next week and that the state is “lifting all our county mask mandates.”