Donald Trump Continues to Not Wear Face Mask Despite Recent White House Staff’s Positive Tests

President Donald Trump has found himself once again drawing some backlash after opting not to wear a face mask during Monday’s daily press briefing. This also comes after it was announced that staffers in the White House receiving positive coronavirus tests.

While Trump wasn’t practicing what he has been preaching, he did mandate that all White House staff must wear facial coverings. The increased measure was moved forward after Trump’s valet driver and Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive. An email was sent out on Monday morning telling all workers that they now have to wear masks and can only take them off while at their desk and six feet away from anyone else. During the conference, Trump noted that, “Just about everybody I’ve seen today has worn a mask.”

Last week, Trump visited the Honeywell factory in Phoenix, Arizona to see the production of N95 masks. During his time there, he was not wearing a mask. It was his first visit outside of the White House in a month and neither him or many others around him wear any protection over their face. This stirred up social media as many did not tolerate his disregard. It even drew a response from Jimmy Kimmel, who was on the firing end of one of Trump’s tweets, in which the late night talk show host wrote, “I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song “Live and Let Die” blares in the background.” When the CDC first ruled on wearing face masks, Trump scoffed at the idea per CBS News, saying, “Somehow sitting in the Oval Office, behind that beautiful Resolute Desk… presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens — I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself.”

In regards to the spreading going around the Washington D.C. office, Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive in March. Pence, though, did not go into quarantine. A statement from spokesman Devin O’Malley revealed that Pence would not be isolating. “Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” said O’Malley. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.” Other members did enter into self-quarantine.