Biden says it's up to Americans whether to wear a mask on planes after a federal judge in Florida struck down the US mandate

• A federal judge struck down the CDC's mask mandate for planes and public transportation on Monday.
• When asked whether Americans should continue to wear a mask on a plane, Biden replied: "That's up to them."

President Joe Biden said it's up to Americans to decide whether to wear masks on planes or other forms of public transportation after a federal judge struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mask mandate on Monday.

"That's up to them," Biden said on Tuesday when asked by reporters whether he believed Americans should continue to mask on airplanes. The president added that he hasn't "spoken to the CDC yet" about whether to appeal the ruling.

Biden had just landed in New Hampshire and wore a mask aboard Air Force One, in line with CDC guidance. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on the plane that the CDC's public health guidelines are not "based on politics."

"There are still a lot of people in this country who still want to have masks in place, either they have immunocompromised relatives, they have kids under five, whatever it may be," she said, adding that the administration is still reviewing the court's decision, which "can take a couple of days."

"Public health decisions shouldn't be made by the courts. They should be made by public health experts," Psaki said.

On Monday, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle issued a 59-page opinion that said the mask mandate was akin to "detention and quarantine." The ruling led several major airlines, local public transportation authorities, and even the ride-sharing service Uber to swiftly drop their masking requirements.

Mizelle, a federal judge in Florida, was confirmed to the bench in 2020 at age 33 — the youngest person chosen by former President Donald Trump to serve a lifetime judicial appointment. Mizelle's nomination drew criticism over her "not qualified" rating from the American Bar Association, which pointed to "the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience."

In a press briefing that followed Monday's ruling, Psaki called the decision "disappointing."

The CDC's masking requirement was recently extended and set to expire on May 3. The Transportation Security Administration stopped enforcement of the mandate on Monday as a result of the court ruling.