President Trump, who has been reluctant to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic, said he would likely wear one while visiting Walter Reed hospital.
Trump spoke with Fox News’s Sean Hannity in a phone interview Thursday, telling the host, “It’s fine to wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable.”
“I expect to be wearing a mask when I go into Walter Reed. You’re in a hospital setting. I think it’s a very appropriate thing,” Trump said. “I have no problem with a mask.”
Trump is scheduled to visit Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, this week to meet with combat veterans and medical staff.
The president has been resistant to wearing a mask at his public appearances, even though public health officials have increasingly stressed their role in helping to curb the spread of the virus. Members of his own party, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have also called on the public to wear facial coverings. First lady Melania Trump and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump have also promoted their use.
Trump appeared less reluctant to wearing a mask earlier this month, saying he’s “all for masks. I think masks are good.”
He said Thursday that he didn’t think wearing a mask should be necessary when people are able to socially distance or where testing is widely available. But he acknowledged that he was concerned about spreading germs to Walter Reed patients.
“I don’t want to spread anything. And a lot of it is you spreading, not them spreading,” Trump said. “And I don’t want to cause a problem for anybody.”
Trump has been photographed wearing a mask only once. Photos surfaced after his visit to a Ford plant in Michigan, showing the president wearing a mask with a presidential seal 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.”
