Trump and aides fail to wear face masks on visit to facility that makes them

Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by saucytryhard

Donald Trump and White House officials refused to wear face coverings while touring a Honeywell factory in Phoenix, Arizona, where workers are manufacturing N95 masks, despite warnings posted onsite to do so. Instead, the president wore goggles.

Before leaving the White House on Tuesday morning, he said: "I think it's a mask facility, right? If it's a mask facility, I will. Yeah. I don't know if it's a mask facility. ... We're going to see Honeywell. They have done an incredible job on many fronts. And so I'm going to pay my respects to a great company and a great state: the state of Arizona."

He added: "They make N95. And they do — and they make them good. They don't make the ones that don't work, like we got sent from certain other countries. No, no — like other people got sent from other countries."

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Later, at Joint Base Andrews, he said: "I haven't decided because I don't know, if it's a mask environment, I would certainly do that. I'll know when I get there. But I would wear it. If it's a mask environment, I would have no problem. ... I'm supposed to make a speech. You'll tell me: Should I leave the mask on when I'm speaking? I don't know. It doesn't sound right. But if it's a mask environment, I would certainly wear a mask."

The president has been unwilling to wear a mask in public despite federal guidance urging all Americans do so to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

On 3 April, following new guidance from federal health officials urging all Americans to wear face coverings, the president — unprompted — said: "I don't think I'll be doing it."

He said: "It's only a recommendation ... I'm choosing not to do it."

DullHall7 on May 5th, 2020 at 22:14 UTC »

Trump's refusal to wear a mask at this factory today is atrocious on a number of levels:

Will further fuel right-wing opposition to wearing masks

Sends the message that wearing a mask isn't important

Contradicts his own administration's guidance around face coverings

LetsPursueLuBu on May 5th, 2020 at 21:55 UTC »

They're doing this on purpose. Republicans all over the state are doing this, governors and Congressmen. Pretty sure it's a party wide policy.

Hiranonymous on May 5th, 2020 at 21:39 UTC »

Before leaving the White House on Tuesday morning, [Trump] said: "I think it's a mask facility, right? If it's a mask facility, I will. Yeah. I don't know if it's a mask facility.

I have no words.