President Donald Trump is continuing his trend of not wearing a mask when he attends public events.
On Thursday, Trump toured a Ford factory that is currently being used to produce ventilators. However, he did not wear a mask despite a company policy that requires everyone wear personal protective equipment.
Before his visit, Ford said it had shared the company’s policy with the White House but added that it would not require the president to wear a mask for the tour.
When Trump was asked why he did not wear a mask, he said, “I had one on before. I wore one in this back area, but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
Watch the video below:
Trump showed off the mask that he said he briefly used:
Here's the mask Trump says he wore briefly at Ford before taking it off pic.twitter.com/MrKetcfGex
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) May 21, 2020
As he left the White House to go to Michigan on Thursday, Trump was asked if he would wear a mask. However, he did not indicate whether or not he would.
Prior to his visit, Michigan’s Attorney Dana Nessel (D) said, “We are just asking that President Trump comply with the law in our state, just as we would make the same request of anyone else in those plants.”
She continued, “if he fails to wear a mask, he’s going to be asked not to return to any enclosed facility inside our state. I know that Ford has asked him to do the same thing.
“But if we know that he’s coming to our state, and we know he’s not going to follow the law, I think we’re going to have to take action against any company or any facility that allows him inside those facilities and puts our workers at risk,” she added.
During several trips outside Washington, D.C., Trump has routinely chosen to go without a face covering — despite guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — as IJR reported.
