WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz Refuses Reporter’s Request To Wear A Mask

After a Senate hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) met reporters outside the chamber on Wednesday. When asked to wear a mask, Cruz told the reporter that he would not wear a mask while doing interviews.

“Uh, when I’m talking to the TV camera I’m not going to wear a mask,” Cruz said while making several odd, shaky hand motions. “And all of us have been immunized, so….”

When a reporter said, “It would make us feel better,” Cruz responded, “You’re welcome to step away if you like. The whole point of the vaccine,” Cruz said, not finishing his sentence, but immediately following with “CDC guidance is what we’re following.”

Cruz’s statement is a mischaracterization of actual CDC guidelines, which say that even those who have been vaccinated should continue to wear a mask. There is no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted to or from a vaccinated person. It is unclear why Cruz made reference to the CDC when their guidelines are clear that vaccinated Americans should continue to wear masks.

Cruz is also in defiance of President Joe Biden‘s executive order mandating masks for anyone inside a federal building.

The United States is on the precipice of a new COVID-19 spike and his own state, Texas, averages almost 4,000 new COVID-19 cases a day.