Trump and Top Aides Ditch Masks After Calling Them Patriotic
- President didn’t wear mask at convention or on recent travel
- New Trump adviser downplays masks despite widespread consensus
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington on Aug. 31, 2020.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Donald Trump and his top aides are conducting near-daily public events without wearing masks, disregarding government guidelines as well as the president’s short-lived effort to encourage Americans to cover their faces out of patriotism.
Trump first publicly wore a mask on July 11 during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, to acclaim from aides. He wore them sporadically through the summer, including while visiting his ailing brother, Robert Trump, in the hospital on Aug. 14.