Here’s the Absurd Trick Used to Make Trump Wear Mask During Covid
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when U.S. health officials were trying to get the public to adopt safety measures, White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin tried to appeal to Donald Trump’s vanity in order to get him to wear a mask.
The co-host of ABC’s The View was catching up with Dr. Anthony Fauci Thursday, who was on the show to promote his new book, On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service. Griffin mentioned what she told Trump to try to convince the then president.
“I remember telling him he looked cool in the mask,” Griffin said, drawing laughs from the studio audience.
“I remember, yeah!” Fauci replied.
“I thought he might be like, ‘OK, fine, I’ll wear it.’ It didn’t work,” Griffin said.
“Nice try, Alyssa,” Fauci said.
In an April 2020 press conference, Trump gave a conflicting message by announcing federal guidelines recommending people wear masks, but saying he was choosing not to do so. Fauci referenced that event, telling the show’s hosts that the now convicted felon and presumptive Republican presidential nominee could’ve gotten his many supporters to wear masks early in the pandemic, possibly saving more lives.
“He has millions and millions of followers who are very loyal to him. All he had to do was say, ‘The CDC is recommending masks, we know it’s going to save lives, do it,’” Fauci said. In the end, Trump’s refusal to wear a mask was due to it smearing his makeup, his aide Cassidy Hutchinson would later reveal.
Trump and his administration would go on to give a lot of mixed messages and ultimately handle the virus poorly, from Trump voicing outrageous recommendations like injecting bleach and using bright lights to fight the virus, as well as championing the unproven anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. In the end, Trump would contract Covid-19 himself.
Watch the segment here:
“[Trump] has millions and millions of followers. ... All he had to do was say, 'The CDC is recommending masks. We know it's gonna save lives. Do it.' And he missed an opportunity.”
— The Recount (@therecount) June 20, 2024
— Anthony Fauci on “The View” says it was “painful” to contradict Trump on masks during COVID pic.twitter.com/ND94hQhomf