House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Trump’s decision to wear a face mask while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “an admission” that face coverings can help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The California Democrat joined CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday and commended the president for sporting a mask while visiting wounded service members on Saturday, saying he “crossed a bridge.”
“I’m so glad that he obeyed the rules of the Walter Reed. You can’t go see our veterans who are there without wearing a mask. Now, he’s crossed a bridge,” she said. “That’s an admission that if you’re going to see our soldiers, you have to wear a mask. If you’re going to be with our children, you have to wear a mask. If we want to stop the spread of the coronavirus, you have to wear a mask.”
“So, hopefully by his example, he will change his attitude, which will be helpful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus,” she added.
Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time while visiting the Maryland hospital on Saturday. He has been photographed wearing a mask only once before when photos surfaced after his visit to a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan, which showed him wearing a mask during a private part of his tour. Trump said he did not wear the mask in public because he “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of face coverings in public settings in April. Many states have implemented mask mandates amid a recent rise in coronavirus infections. The president reportedly donned a mask only after “pleading” from aides. Pelosi urged him to begin wearing a mask in public last month, saying, “Real men wear masks.“
