CNN's Brianna Keilar Slams Dem COVID Hypocrisy: They Have Been Caught, Time To "Look In The Mirror"

CNN host Brianna Keilar called out Democratic politicians for enforcing the same COVID restrictions they don't follow. From her Wednesday program on CNN: <blockquote>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: A number of Democratic leaders, apologizing or reversing course, after multiple occurrences of "do as I say, not as I do." They have been caught, not following their own coronavirus guidelines. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed facing backlash after it was revealed she attended a birthday party last month at the French Laundry, the famed and exclusive Napa Valley restaurant, with seven other people at her table. The mayor's office says it was an open-air table, which seems like semantics, since it was a partially-enclosed room complete with a ceiling and chandelier, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle." And when this party happened, such gatherings were discouraged by statewide guidelines, even if indoor dining was permitted in Napa County. The mayor traveled to the dinner outside of her own city, which was on the verge of entering its red tier, the second-most restrictive for the state. And yesterday, Breed warned San Francisco may close all outdoor dining because the restrictions have not been working. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR LONDON BREED (D-SAN FRANCISCO): We have to continue to do our part to distance ourselves from one another, and to limit our -- our activities. We are in trouble. And we are sounding the alarm, as I said before. So that's going to mean some real challenging months ahead. (END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Now the restaurant has been quite the draw for Democratic officials defying the spirit, if not the letter, of the very regulations they are telling their constituents to follow. The day before Breed's dinner at the French Laundry, Governor Gavin Newsom also attended a party there with at least a dozen other people from different households. He, later, apologized for it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): The spirit of what I am preaching all the time was contradicted and I got to own that. And so, I want to apologize to you because I need to preach and practice, not just preach. (END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: In Los Angeles County, supervisor, Sheila Kuehl, voted to close outdoor dining last week, and then dined at a restaurant before the order took effect. While explaining her vote, she said that it's magical thinking to say that people can wear masks and distance at a restaurant. Kuehl's office says she felt sorry for the restaurant business's struggles and vowed she would not dine out again until the county permits it. And in San Jose, California, Mayor Sam Liccardo is also apologizing for ignoring state restrictions during Thanksgiving when he attended a gathering with his elderly parents that included guests from five different households. California limits households at private gatherings to three. Before his large Thanksgiving dinner, Mayor Liccardo tweeted this guidance, quote, "Cancel the big gatherings this year and focus on keeping each other safe." In Denver, Mayor Michael Hancock told residents of his city to skip large Thanksgiving dinners. Quote, "Stay home and stay in touch with friends, family by phone or online." He sent that tweet and then he promptly appeared at the Denver airport and flew to Mississippi to spend the holiday with his wife and daughter. The mayor's office confirming his traveling. And Hancock later releasing a statement asking his city for forgiveness. He said this, quote, "I apologize to the residents of Denver who see my decision as conflicting with the guidance to stay at home for all- but-essential travel. I made my decision as a husband and father. And for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that were born of my heart and not my head." Now, he apologized to the residents who saw his decision as conflicting with guidance. But to be clear, this isn't a matter of interpretation. He did the exact opposite of what he told everyone else to do. And in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo last week told a local radio host his Thanksgiving would include his 89-year-old mother. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY) (voice-over): My mom is going to come up, and two of my girls, is the current plan. But the plans change. (END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Then in the very same interview, Cuomo told New Yorkers that this couldn't be a typical Thanksgiving for them. That they shouldn't have friends and family gathering. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CUOMO (voice-over): I'm trying to say to people, now, you know, you watch all these commercials on TV. And they're selling commercial Thanksgiving, right? Twenty people around the table. Pass me the wine. Pass me this. (CROSSTALK) CUOMO: That's not happening. That can't happen. It can't happen. (END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Now, the backlash was quick. Cuomo suddenly changed his plans. One of the governor's advisers telling CNN that the next day Cuomo would now be working on the holiday. The past few weeks brought into relief a pattern of leaders failing to lead by example, asking Americans to make sacrifices that they, themselves, are unwilling to make, and appearing sorry only when they're caught. Trust is built slowly but it evaporates faster than reservations at a fancy restaurant. A lot of these leaders, they are looking across the aisle to blame Republicans who aren't taking mask wearing seriously. But maybe, it's time they also look in the mirror and ask themselves if that was really worth it. Still ahead, the most important relationships in Congress that will be critical to the president-elect early in his administration. We will talk about that.</blockquote>