Much effort has gone into mask-shaming President Donald Trump in the days since he was diagnosed with coronavirus.
The president has never told Americans not to wear masks, but had not worn one except when absolutely necessary, and had even mocked his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, for wearing a mask even when there was no scientific reason to do so.
In the days since, Biden and the media have implied (or stated outright) that Trump got sick because he didn’t wear a mask.
The problem with this contrast is that Biden doesn’t always wear a mask, either — not even when he is in relatively close contact with reporters.
Take, for example, this video shot by ABC News reported Beatrice-Elizabeth Peterson on Sep. 14, after Biden delivered his speech on climate change in Delaware. Biden walked by the press corps and responded to a few questions without putting his mask back on — endangering the lives of all present, as the media would say if Trump did it.
There are other examples of Biden not wearing a mask, as on Sep. 18 when he spoke with firefighters after a Pennsylvania town hall. Even when Biden has a mask on, he fumbles with it constantly, which is what doctors tell us explicitly not to do.
And here are more:
Other examples of mask hypocrisy abound. There’s Nancy Pelosi in the hair salon; Virginia’s Gov. Ralph Northam on the boardwalk; New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo walking his dog; Rep. Harley Rouda on a private beach; Beto O’Rourke jogging.
Most of these instances happened in circumstances when, science suggests, there is minimal chance of transmitting the virus — outside, or in a well-sanitized salon. Likewise with Trump, surrounded by people who had tested negative for coronavirus.
There is always, however, a risk — and Trump caught the bug (as did Northam). Biden’s answer is to call for a mask mandate he admits he cannot enforce.
Better to be honest about the fact that we all have to face risks at some point — even Joe Biden.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His newest e-book is The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.