President Trump wore a mask for the first time on camera during his visit to the Walter Reed hospital in Maryland, Saturday. Trump appeared at the hospital to check on wounded soldiers and essential workers.
"I'll probably have a mask, if you must know,” Trump told reporters ahead of his visit. “I think when you're in a hospital, especially in that particular setting where you're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that in some cases just got off the operating tables I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask.
"I've never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place."
Trump has criticized others who have worn masks publically, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Trump claims he only comes in contact with people who are tested for COVID-19 regularly. The Associated Press has reported that Trump also refuses to wear the mask publically in order to shift focus from the public health crisis to economic recovery.
The Walter Reed hospital advises on its website, “Whenever you’re out in public, like at your local grocery store or pharmacy, where it’s difficult to maintain 6 feet of social distance, you should wear a cloth face covering.”
[Via]