President-elect Joe Biden is advising President Donald Trump to follow in former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s footsteps and urge Americans to wear masks.
“I give former Governor Chris Christie credit. He and I have disagreed on a number of things, but I’m thankful he’s now encouraging people to do the right thing and wear masks their themselves, their loved ones, and their country. I hope that President Trump will listen to him,” Biden said while delivering remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday.
He added, “He can do it too. It would make a huge difference for President Trump to say, ‘Wear masks.'”
Watch his remarks below:
President-elect Joe Biden: "I give former Gov. Chris Christie credit for encouraging people to wear masks for themselves, their loved ones and their country. I hope that President Trump will listen to him." pic.twitter.com/5vgRaZEE1Q
— The Hill (@thehill) December 29, 2020
Christie, a Republican, released a video earlier this month encouraging Americans to wear masks just months after he was treated for COVID-19.
“You know, lying in isolation in ICU for seven days, I thought about how wrong I was to remove my mask at the White House. Today, I think about how wrong it is to let mask-wearing divide us,” Christie said.
He continued, “You’re twice as likely to get COVID-19 if you don’t wear a mask because if you don’t do the right thing we could all end up on the wrong side of history. Please wear a mask.”
Check out his comments below:
I am very happy today for this ad to start to run on TV across America. I urge all Americans to learn from my experience and to, please, wear a mask and stay safe. pic.twitter.com/DGmOValDJo
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) December 16, 2020
Christie admitted he was “wrong” for not wearing a mask during an event honoring Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as IJR previously reported.
“I believed when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that I and many others underwent every day,” Christie said in a statement in October.
He went on, “I was wrong. I was wrong not to wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the president and the rest of the team.”
During an interview with CNN on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci shared Biden’s concern “that as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse,” as IJR previously reported.