Schwarzenegger: Anyone who politicizes coronavirus masks is "an absolute moron"

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tweeted Thursday that anyone who politicizes mask-wearing as protection from coronavirus "is an absolute moron who can't read."

The big picture: His statement came just after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order requiring people to wear face coverings in public.

• Newsom's order came the same day the state saw its biggest increase in new cases, with 4,084 new confirmed infections.
• Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said the order was "100% the right move." He added, "This will help us beat this terrible virus. The science is unanimous — if we all wear masks, we slow down the spread and can reopen safely."

The bottom line: A recent study in Health Affairs indicated that some states' mandates for wearing masks in public may have prevented hundreds of thousands of cases.