Idaho Lt. Gov. defends imposing surprise mask mandate ban while governor traveled out of state

Gov. Little accused Lt. Gov. McGeachin of staging 'self-serving political stunt'

Thomas Barrabi | Fox News

 

Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin on Monday defended her decision to impose a ban on mask mandates while Gov. Brad Little was traveling out of state, arguing the surprise move was necessary to protect individual freedoms from government overreach.

Little, also a Republican, accused McGeachin of attempting a "self-serving political stunt" in a scathing statement last week announcing his reversal of her executive action. McGeachin, who has been critical of Little’s leadership throughout the pandemic, said the ban on mask mandates was "absolutely not" a bid to garner publicity for her recently announced 2022 gubernatorial run. 

"My action was to uphold my sworn oath to uphold and protect the rights of our citizens in Idaho, as guaranteed to us in our U.S. constitution, our Idaho constitution and the rule of law in Idaho," McGeachin said in an interview with Fox News. "That is what I did."

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