- Conservative campaigner Brandon Straka was removed from an
American Airlines flight for refusing to wear a face covering on board. - American Airlines' policy requires coverings on all flights, and the company has recently tightened its rules.
- It is the first time a passenger has been removed in this kind of incident, CNN reported.
- Straka, a self-described "former liberal," campaigns on social media to encourage Democrats to leave the party.
A pro-Trump campaigner was removed from an American Airlines flight on Wednesday for refusing to wear a face covering.
Self-described "former liberal" Brandon Straka refused to wear a face covering on flight 1263 from New York to Dallas, which is now compulsory under the airline's policy.
He then discussed the incident on a Periscope broadcast and on Twitter.
In a statement, the American told Business Insider: "After he refused to comply with the instructions provided by the flight crew, our team members asked him to deplane. He deplaned and the flight departed the gate four minutes late at 12:34 p.m. ET."
He was then rebooked on another flight after agreeing to follow the policy, the airline added.
It is the first such incident since airlines began requiring face coverings on flights, according to CNN.
American Airlines is among several members of industry group Airlines for America that tightened their face covering policies on Monday. Face coverings were already mandatory on board, but now the company will consider denying future travel to those who refuse to wear one.
Straka, who supports Trump, has featured on Fox News to promote his anti-Democratic "Walk Away" campaign and was an invited speaker at the February 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference.
Straka's social media has indicated scepticism about the usefulness of masks.
After being removed from the plane he described the encounter in a Periscope broadcast and tweeted about it to his almost 400,000 followers.
Straka said that airline staff had initially told him mask-wearing was the "law" — as opposed to company policy.
"Literally the whole staff was standing round me intimidating me," he said. He added: "This is insane. This is absolutely insane. We don't even have a choice any more."
He also said that he was approached after deplaning by staff, whom he said apologized to him for asking about a medical condition. (The policy exempts passengers with some medical conditions from wearing a mask.)
American Airlines said it had contacted Straka as part of a review of the incident.
An exchange about masks was partially documented by New York Times reporter Astead W. Herndon in a video tweet taken from an airline seat at the same time of flight 1263.
Off-camera, a man can be heard complaining that he has not been asked if he has a medical condition preventing him from wearing a mask. A female voice asked that question, to which he said he does. In response, the woman asks him for documentation.
Straka also tweeted an account of the conversation in which he gave his reason for not wearing a mask as: "Sanity."
Later, Herndon contradicted this on Twitter, and said the campaigner was "fabricating how the interaction went with the flight attendants for some Twitter likes."
—Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) June 17, 2020
Business Insider has contacted Straka for comment.