Trump says he took mask off at Ford plant because he 'didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it'

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

published May 21, 2020

President Trump said he briefly wore a mask during his Thursday visit to a Ford plant in Michigan, but took it off before facing reporters because "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it."

Earlier this week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed an executive order prohibiting nonessential visits to manufacturing facilities. On Wednesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) said she would not block Trump's visit, but did pen an open letter imploring him to wear a mask during his tour of the Ford plant. "Anyone who has potentially been recently exposed [to coronavirus], including the president of the United States, has not only a legal responsibility, but also a social and moral responsibility, to take reasonable precautions to prevent further spread of the virus," she wrote.

Trump told reporters that he did wear a mask "in the back area," but was "given a choice." He also praised his appearance, saying, "Honestly, I think I look better in the mask." Ford executives who accompanied Trump wore face coverings, and in a statement, the company said Bill Ford, its executive chairman, "encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived. He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years. The president later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit."

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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.

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