After months of refusing to wear a mask in public, Donald Trump recently broke that trend and on Monday, he tweeted that “many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance.”
Trump posted a photo of himself wearing a mask, and wrote, “We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!”
We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2020
The president has had a contentious relationship with masks and in an interview on Sunday, he shot down any speculation that he would declare a national mask-wearing mandate, telling Fox News’ Chris Wallace, “I want people to have a certain freedom and I don’t believe in that, no.”
President Trump first appeared in public wearing a mask on July 11, when he visited Walter Reed hospital. Prior to that visit, he said in a Fox News interview, “I think it’s fine to wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable.”
But, for months, Trump stayed away from wearing a mask in public. On May 25, he retweeted Fox News’ Brit Hume, who posted a photo of Democratic nominee Joe Biden in a mask with the caption, “This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public. Biden today.”
This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public. Biden today. pic.twitter.com/9l1gw1ljBE
— Brit Hume (@brithume) May 25, 2020
And Biden has sought to attack Trump on his hesitancy to wear a mask.
After Trump finally did appear in public wearing a mask, Biden said, “It’s gotten bad enough that even Donald Trump finally decided to wear a mask in public. I’m glad he made the shift.”
Biden added, “Mr. President it’s not enough. We won’t be able to turn the corner. We won’t be able to turn the corner and get American people back to work safely without presidential leadership.”