Meghan McCain called out Sarah Palin for going out to dinner in New York City just days after testing positive for COVID. The former The View co-host, 37, told Daily Mail on Jan. 27 that Sarah — who was Meghan’s late father John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election — was “reckless” and “stupid” for her decision. Sarah, 57, reportedly ate at Italian restaurant Elio’s on Saturday (Jan. 22) and sat inside, despite not being vaccinated. She tested positive for COVID on Monday (Jan. 24), but returned to the restaurant two days later (Jan. 26) and ate there again, this time outdoors.
“Is she crazy? Day two? I haven’t seen her or talked to her for many years, aside from some short emails when my father passed, so I can’t imagine what she is thinking but this is highly irresponsible,” Meghan told Daily Mail. “This was selfish, reckless and stupid. Just because it’s not illegal doesn’t mean it is not unethical.”
The Arizona native went on to say that this incident is why Sarah “shouldn’t be in politics anymore.” She added, “You have to lead by example. I’m embarrassed to have once known her.” Sarah, a staunch conservative Republican, is strongly opposed to getting the COVID vaccine. Although she obviously doesn’t have a vaccine card, which is mandatory to eat indoors in NYC, the former Alaska Governor was still granted entry into Elio’s on Jan. 22. She was photographed eating at the heated, outdoor section of the restaurant a few nights later, after her positive COVID test. Elio’s addressed the situation in an EXCLUSIVE statement to HollywoodLife.
“Sarah didn’t present the vaccination card on Saturday night and she shouldn’t have been able to sit down,” a rep for Elio’s said. “She showed up to apologize last night and was not allowed to come inside. It was a mistake that she was dining, and we take full responsibility for that. She did not come back inside.”
The mother of five has been in the Big Apple for her defamation trial against The New York Times. The trial was scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 24, but was postponed to begin Thursday, Feb. 3 after Sarah’s COVID diagnosis, according to Daily Mail. This is Sarah’s second time contracting the virus.