SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Several American political leaders have been caught preaching one thing on the coronavirus and doing another. Politicians have long been called out for hypocrisy.
But their actions can feel like a personal insult during a pandemic that’s forced millions into seclusion and left many without paychecks.
Experts say people's responses to morally inconsistent behavior depend partly on whether they like and agree with the politician caught doing it. That may allow them to rationalize the behavior.
Denver’s mayor flew to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family after urging others to stay home. A Pennsylvania mayor banned indoor dining, then ate at a restaurant in Maryland.
