But shortly after the newly elected president uttered that plea, some Republicans made clear that even this ask wouldn’t go over well with them.

“The Biden administration is already headed in the wrong direction,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said on Friday. “Continued federal overreach won’t end the Covid-19 pandemic or put food on the table.”

And within days, it became clearer that opponents wouldn’t just complain about the mask mandate, but actively fight it, too.

“Definitely expect lawsuits from our state, private lawsuits,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based GOP strategist and former campaign manager to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).