AOC, Sanders tell supporters to mask up for West Coast town halls

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are taking the "Fighting Oligarchy" rallies out West next week – and advising supporters to mask up to participate. 

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox News Digital can confirm that the RSVP for the events in Denver and Las Vegas includes guidance that "masks are advised for all attendees of this event."

A post shared by conservative podcaster Stephen L. Miller on Friday about the Denver event had many wondering why masks would be advised for an outdoor event in 2025. 

Sanders did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's inquiry about the mask guidance. 

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"Sent from a friend. Bernie's speaking tour is advising everyone in attendance to wear masks. This is an outdoor event," the X post said, accompanied by a screenshot of the RSVP.

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"Still trying the Covid panic politics," the top comment said. 

"Was this from the year 2020?" a content creator asked.

But another reply countered: "They don’t want the paid attendees found out."

The reactions to the post are split, with many people online dumbfounded by the need for masks exactly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns and social distancing. 

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to a capacity crowd during an event at UW-Parkside on March 07, 2025 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Others speculated that the masks are a way to protect attendees' identities. Masks are a common practice to protect protesters' identities at large demonstrations, like the pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University this past year. 

However, Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" events are not protests. Events in the Blue Wall states of Michigan and Wisconsin last weekend operated like a traditional campaign rally, with thousands of supporters lining up to earn a spot inside to hear the headline speaker. 

Sanders announced the West Coast leg of his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour with Ocasio-Cortez in a social media video on Friday. The progressives will make stops in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado "to hold town meetings with working people who are profoundly disgusted with what is going on in Washington, D.C."

"Nevada, Colorado, Arizona: You deserve public servants who show up for you. The time is now to protect the public good, advance healthcare and living wages for all, and fight against corruption. See you next week," Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the political campaign committee tasked with electing more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, advised against town halls following a series of protest disruptions fueled by Democrats' discontent with President Donald Trump’s second term. 

Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., began his own slew of town hall events in Republican-held congressional districts on Friday, saying if a Republican representative refused to meet with their constituents, then he would "lend a megaphone" to them. 

An RSVP for "Fighting Oligarchy" rallies with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., advised supporters to mask up to participate.  (Getty/AP)

"Instead of facing their constituents, they’re running scared and hiding from the people they were elected to represent. If they won’t talk to their own voters, then Democrats will. That’s why we’ll be hosting People’s Town Halls in all 50 states across the country, starting now with vulnerable GOP-held target districts. Working families deserve to have their voices heard, even if Republicans want to ignore them," Martin added. 

The NRCC said the protests that shut down Republicans' town hall meetings were "manufactured productions." Fox News Digital reported last month about the coordinated effort by progressive groups protesting the Department of Government Efficiency. 

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MoveOn.org, which has accepted millions of dollars from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Policy Center, announced in a press release last month that it was mobilizing resources as part of a "Congress Works for Us, Not Musk" initiative "aimed at pressuring lawmakers to fight back against the Trump-Musk agenda" at Republican town halls and offices. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Trump called the protesters who shut down Republican town halls "professionals" and "paid troublemakers."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., center, joined from left by Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

"Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

In addition to the mask guidance, the flier for next Friday's event with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez includes typical safety precautions for large public events, including a request for anyone not feeling well to stay home.

"Please note: no bags, signs, or firearms are allowed. Masks are advised for all attendees of this event. Anyone experiencing a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 is asked to stay home and not attend," it says on the RSVP. 

People gather in support of continuing the school mask mandate outside the Loudon County Government Center prior to a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday January 18, 2022, in Leesburg, VA. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ended their travel mask mandate on April 18, 2022. 

According to the CDC's website, masks are still "recommended in indoor public transportation settings" and "people may choose to mask at any time."

The website advises people who are at medium to high risk of getting very sick to wear a mask or "consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed."

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While the CDC has maintained that masking can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, other studies since the pandemic have brought into question the efficacy of wearing a mask.