Congresswoman seen maskless at Trump rally over weekend

MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- In Elkhart County, Covid-19 numbers are rising once again. The rate of infections is taking the area back to the early summer when they were considered a national hotspot. The goal for the county is to mitigate the spread of the virus, but a Trump rally in Goshen Saturday went against that with attendees not seen to be adhering to social distancing protocols. 

100 people surrounded the Elkhart County Courthouse in Goshen, Saturday Morning to show their support for the re-election of Donald Trump. A notable attendee of the rally was Congresswoman Jackie Walorski who greeted supporters. Walorski, who currently serves as the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 2nd congressional district, was seen not wearing a mask during the event.

Additional photos posted to the FaceBook account of Walorski shows handshakes, hugs, and selfies with fellow supporters.

The images have caused backlash online, as cases continue to spike. With cases on the rise, the Elkhart County Health Department is reminding residents to continue mitigating the spread as they did in the past.

"We need to remind people that the coronavirus is still very much around and spreading wildly right now through Elkhart County. We need to continue doing or go back to doing all the things we did when we stopped the hot spot spike in the summer,” said Elkhart County health officer Lydia Mertz.

Though there are those that do not see an issue with Walorski or the lack of social distancing at the weekend Trump rally. There are some, like Elkhart County Republican Chair Dan Holtz, who feels Walorski is responsible enough with all of the covid information received to make her own decision.

"I trust Jackie Walorski who actually sits in congress and has been given briefings, is responsible enough to make decisions," said Holtz. 

Attempts to contact the Congresswoman, and her campaign was not returned with the offices closed in observance of Columbus Day.