President Donald Trump on Monday shared an image of himself wearing a mask, noting that many people believed it was “patriotic” to do so.
“We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!”
President Trump shared the image on Twitter as government officials continue pressing for more mask mandates to fight the virus.
In an interview with Fox News host Chris Wallace last week, Trump resisted calls for a national mask mandate from Democrats like New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don’t believe in that,” Trump said, adding that he did not agree with the idea that if everyone wore a mask the virus would vanish. Trump also said during the interview that he was a “believer in masks” but added that “masks cause problems, too.
First lady Melania Trump also encouraged Americans to wear masks last week, sharing an image on Twitter of herself wearing a mask.
The president resisted wearing a mask in front of the press until July 11, when he visited wounded soldiers at Water Reed hospital.