U.S President Donald Trump has never worn a mask at any public event, and he even stated that he does not see the point of wearing one.
Trump criticized for not wearing mask
In April, CNN reported thatTrump was asked about wearing masks in a press conference and stated that he does not think that he is going to do it. He said he does not see the importance of the CDC guidelines asking people to wear masks and practice social distancing. He added that he does not want to wear masks as he greets presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, and queens.
Last week, the president went to Ford Plant, where ventilators are currently being manufactured. Trump claimed that he wore a mask when the cameras were off and when the reporters were not around, but he took it off because he did not want to give the press the pleasure of seeing him with it.
On Memorial Day, President Trump retweeted a tweet from Brit Hume who appeared to mock former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a mask during a wreath-laying ceremony.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on May 26 that it was peculiar to see Joe Biden wearing a mask outdoors. She said that the president was excited to see Biden emerge from the basement and that it was strange that in the basement, he was right next to his wife, but he was not wearing a mask. But he wears masks outdoors even though he is socially distant.
McEnany said that there is a discrepancy in his actions. PolitiFact wrote that there is no real debate about wearing a mask and its full impact on mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the site, medical masks like the N95, offer the most protection but medical experts agree that other types of facial coverings, like the ones that are made of fabric, are also effective at slowing the spread of the virus.
Setting an example
The problem that the press and medical experts see in Trump's refusal to wear a mask, is that he is setting a bad example to his followers. Republican governors across the country are also refusing to wear a mask, and a heated exchange between a beach-goer and CNN's Gary Tuchman also showed the impact of Trump's improper behavior.
The beach-goer said that if the President is not wearing a mask, he also won't wear a mask, because if he is not bothered then there is no need for him to be worried. The President of the United States is sending a signal that he does not need to wear a mask and wearing one makes you look weak, which makes it unsurprising that some people are following his lead.
Mask-wearing has been politicized, even going as far as to claim that it is Democratic propaganda and that the stay-at-home orders are a way to violate the first amendment. Unfortunately, it is not, and the refusal to follow guidelines as already cost the lives of thousands of Americans. If this behavior continues, the death toll will continue to rise.
