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.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.