President Donald Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a face mask Monday, encouraging more Americans to do the same.
“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,” Trump tweeted. “There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” (RELATED: Trump Campaign Spox Accuses Press Of Covering For Biden ‘For The Better Part Of 50 Years’)
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
Trump’s decision not to wear a mask most of the time has been a bone of contention with critics who have argued that, even if he is tested for coronavirus regularly and the people around him are as well, wearing a mask would show that he was leading by example.
Trump agreed to wear a mask came after a quiet lobbying campaign by some WH aides & political advisers who urged Trump to set an example for his supporters.
One adviser described it as “lots of negotiation” & repeated “pleading.”
W/ @Kevinliptakcnn https://t.co/qJMdBmJVj2— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) July 10, 2020
“We need to wear a mask, that example needs to be set by our national leadership,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says when pressed about Trump’s mixed messaging on masks.
“It shouldn’t be about politics,” he adds when asked about partisan divide on masks. https://t.co/PJGLE8zDdC pic.twitter.com/ESyLF1EcGT
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 19, 2020
Trump also mentioned masks during his recent interview with “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace, saying that he supported people wearing them but did not intend to implement a mandate.
Trump says he won’t consider a national mask mandate: “No, I want people to have a certain freedom” pic.twitter.com/jPAYoTDUTo
— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) July 19, 2020