Stacey Abrams apologizes for maskless photo with kids after slamming Republicans for calling her out

• Stacey Abrams was pictured sitting with masked children while not wearing a mask herself.
• When Republicans criticized her, she said they were just trying to distract from their pandemic management.

The Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams apologized on Tuesday over a photo last week of her maskless among masked schoolchildren, after previously pushing back against Republican criticism of the photo.

Abrams, a Democrat, was pictured at a school in Decatur, Georgia, for its annual African American read-in, surrounded by children wearing masks. She was not wearing one herself. The photo was posted last Friday.

Abrams told CNN's "OutFront" on Tuesday that she had worn a mask as she approached the podium, then told them that she was going to take it off to read because there were also children following remotely.

"In the excitement after I finished because it was so much fun working with those kids I took a picture and that was a mistake," she said.

"Protocols matter. Protecting our kids is the most important thing, and anything that can be perceived as undermining that is a mistake, and I apologize," she said.

Watch her interview here:

Some Republicans had criticized Abrams, accusing her of hypocrisy.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican seeking reelection, said Sunday: "Stacey Abrams wants state government mask mandates for Georgians and their children. But it looks like they wouldn't apply when she's attending a photo op."

Abrams responded by calling the criticism a "pathetic, transparent, and silly attack" and accused Republicans of looking for "opportunities to distract from their failed records when it comes to protecting public health during the pandemic."

The city of Decatur requires people to wear masks, though the rule does not apply to people under 10 years old, Insider's Connor Perrett reported.