During his first trip outside of Washington, D.C., in more than a month, President Donald Trump decided against wearing a mask despite government guidelines to do so.
During an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shared why she thinks Trump did not wear a mask, “It’s a vanity thing, I guess, with him, I don’t know why it would be vain. But anyway it’s a vanity thing.”
“You’d think as the president of the United States, you would have the confidence to honor the guidance that you are giving others in the country. Yes, he should have worn a face mask,” she added.
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Trump toured a facility Honeywell International is using to produce N-95 face masks. But, during his visit, Trump — and other members of the group touring the facility — did not wear a face mask, as IJR reported.
Before he left the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would wear a mask during his trip, and he responded, “If it’s a mask facility, I will, yeah.”
Trump is not the only administration official to not wear a mask in public. During a trip to the Mayo Clinic, Vice President Mike Pence received criticism after he chose not to wear a mask.
Pence initially defended the decision, but earlier this week backtracked and said, “I didn’t think it was necessary, but I should have worn a mask at the Mayo Clinic.
Pelosi claimed that Trump’s decision to forgo a mask means that he “has washed his hands of this.”
“It’s really another indication that as we tell everyone to wash their hands, 30 seconds, soap and water, top and bottom, wash your hands, hygiene and sanitation very important in fighting this. Apparently, the president has washed his hands of this.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump claimed he did wear a mask, “I had a mask on for a period of time.”
He continued, “I can’t help it if you didn’t see me. I had a mask on, but I didn’t need it.”
Additionally, Pelosi called for lawmakers to work together to pass legislation to help “save lives, livelihood, and the life of our democracy.”
While Republican lawmakers have tried to put a hold on future coronavirus spending, Pelosi said it is an “option” that the House would hold a vote on a new round of coronavirus legislation without an agreement with Republicans.