President Trump believes that the coronavirus pandemic will likely “get worse before it gets better” and encouraged people to wear masks when they are not able to practice social distancing.
The president issued the warning at a press conference Tuesday, the White House’s first coronavirus briefing since April. After his grim prediction, he said, “It’s something I don’t like saying.”
Trump’s comments marked a shift in tone for the president who has, for some time, had a more positive perspective on the state of the pandemic. In the past, he has often remarked that the virus would simply disappear. When questioned about such comments in a Sunday-aired interview with Chris Wallace, Trump responded, “I will be right eventually.”
“We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask. Get a mask, whether you like the mask or not,” Trump added on Tuesday. “They have an impact. They’ll have an effect, and we need everything we can get.”
Earlier this month, Trump wore a mask in public for the first time. The president has come under fire for waiting so long to wear one publicly. When asked toward the beginning of the pandemic if he would wear one, he expressed that it might be odd for him to do so and that it likely would not be best for foreign leaders to see him donning a face covering.
“I don’t know. Somehow, I don’t see it for myself,” he said.
During the briefing, however, Trump said, “I carry the mask … I have the mask right here. I carry it, and I will use it gladly.”
The White House has also said in the past that because the president is tested so frequently, it isn’t often a necessity for him to wear one.
