President Donald Trump infamously refused to wear a mask while visiting a mask factory and was one of the only people not wearing a mask at Monday's coronavirus briefing.
The administration's failure to set an example on coronavirus safety may have cost the president a photo-op in the key 2020 battleground state of Pennsylvania.
"President Trump was pushing to get out in the public eye in recent weeks and tout his leadership during the pandemic, and White House staff thought they had hit on the ideal event: a presidential visit to thank the Pennsylvania factory workers who had recently taken herculean steps to ramp up U.S. supplies of protective equipment," The Washinton Postreported Monday. "Workers had received national attention after dozens of them lived for 28 days inside their factory so they could ensure they were virus-free and their production was not contaminated or disrupted by illness."
"White House officials pressed to hold an event at the Braskem factory, initially scheduled for last Friday," the newspaper reported."But after extensive back and forth, factory officials ultimately asked to postpone, worried that a visit from Trump could jeopardize both the safety of the workers and the plant’s ability to produce special material for masks and other medical gear, according to two people familiar with the decision and documents reviewed by The Post."
"The White House’s efforts to set up an event at the Pennsylvania factory came as Trump and Vice President Pence have made a number of public appearances in recent weeks to showcase the administration’s work combating the health crisis — gatherings that health experts say have created heightened health risks for both them and those around them," the newspaper added.