Carrie Underwood is facing backlash for appearing to support a conservative commentator’s anti-mask video amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Before He Cheats” singer, 38, “liked” a tweet promoting Matt Walsh’s video voicing his concerns with the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education’s recent mask mandate.
In the video, Walsh said forcing children to wear masks should be considered “abusive,” which received applause from the parents attending the meeting.
“What if a parent forced his kid to wear a football helmet all day every day for fear of falling coconuts and meteors?” he argued. “If you saw that, you would say he’s abusive.”
Walsh added that making children wear masks all day teaches them to believe “the air is toxic, that everyone around them is sick.”
The CDC recommends “universal indoor masking for all students (age 2 years and older), teachers, staff and visitors to K-12 schools regardless of vaccination status” as a method of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Fans on Twitter who noticed Underwood’s apparent endorsement of Walsh’s message immediately shared their concern — and yet lack of surprise — as the Delta variant has been surging throughout the US.
“It’s not just that Carrie Underwood liked an anti-mask tweet. It’s that Carrie Underwood liked an anti-mask tweet from Matt Walsh, one of those most negligently histrionic voices on the topic of protecting kids from COVID,” GLAAD political consultant Jeremy Hooper tweeted.
“Girl I hope that your finger slipped on the like button. Matt Walsh is one of the more repulsive humans in this country. @carrieunderwood,” wrote another Twitter user.
“Carrie Underwood being Anti Vaxx….anyways we still stan Kelly Clarkson forever the best winner of American Idol,” tweeted a third user.
“Seeing people react to Carrie Underwood being an anti-vaxxer makes me glad legend Dolly Parton helped bankroll one and two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks has been pushing for masks, vaccines and social distancing all along,” tweeted another.
“Dolly Parton help fund the Moderna vaccine to fight off covid Carrie underwood is helping spread anti mask & antivaxx misinformation Class vs trash,” wrote a fifth user.
Underwood, who shares sons Isaiah, 6, and Jacob, 2, with husband Mike Fisher, has neither responded to the backlash nor “unliked” the video.