Trump visit to Pennsylvania factory put off after company decides it's too risky

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

With President Trump wanting to get out of Washington, D.C., and show off his leadership skills, White House staffers thought it would be smart to have Trump visit a Pennsylvania plant that produced personal protective equipment, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, but the plan fizzled after factory officials decided it was just too risky to hold the event.

The Braskem factory in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, made headlines when employees remained inside the building for 28 days, making medical gear without worrying about the items becoming contaminated by coronavirus. During discussions between factory officials and the White House advance team, Braskem conveyed its concern that a Trump visit would jeopardize the safety of workers and the plant's ability to make a special fabric needed for its medical gear. They worried there wasn't enough room to social distance, and wouldn't have let workers attend the event anyway, the Post reports.

The White House, which wanted the event to be held last Friday, suggested holding something outside instead, but the factory finally said there was too much of a risk and asked to have the visit rescheduled for after the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Braskem CEO Mark Nikolich said the company was "deeply honored by the White House's acknowledgment of our production resiliency teams. However, after many discussions, the parties agreed due to the nature of petrochemical operations and the safety of our team members and visitors a visit wasn't feasible."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Last Tuesday, Trump went to a Honeywell facility in Phoenix that made masks, while not wearing a face covering himself. On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence trekked to a Virginia nursing home to deliver personal protective equipment, joined by Katie Miller, his press secretary. Neither one wore a mask, and on Friday, Miller tested positive for coronavirus. That didn't prevent Pence from flying to Iowa, where he interacted with Gov. Kim Reynolds (R).

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.