Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday evening slammed President Donald Trump for not wearing a mask at public events, saying the president is refusing to lead by example.
During a virtual Yahoo town hall event with Chef Jose Andres, Biden said Trump has “refused to acknowledge his responsibility” before ripping Trump for insisting that “everything’s going fine” and he does not need a mask.”
“I got my mask,” Biden reportedly said after displaying his cloth mask. “I can’t walk outside my house [without wearing one] because the Secret Service is there. They’re all wearing their masks. They’re all getting tested. Come on.”
Trump is scheduled to visit Ford’s Ypsilanti plant in Michigan on Thursday, and Ford said it will defer to the White House’s policies after previously saying that everyone who enters the plant must wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union also noted that anyone entering the plant should follow the protocols.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday asked Trump to respect the workers at Ford and wear a mask when he visits the Ypsilanti plant on Thursday, saying Trump has a “social and moral responsibility” to do so because he has been recently exposed to the coronavirus.
“I ask that while you are on tour you respect the great efforts of the men and women at Ford – and across this state – by wearing a facial covering,” Nessel wrote. “Anyone who has potentially been recently exposed, 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.”
On Wednesday, Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant had to be temporarily shut down after an autoworker who tested positive for the coronavirus reportedly “had to be reminded numerous times by management and union officials to wear his mask while working.”