Trump calls it ‘unusual’ that Biden wore mask to Memorial Day event

President Trump on Tuesday said he found it “unusual” that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden wore a mask to a Memorial Day ceremony the previous day.

“Biden can wear a mask, but he was standing outside with his wife, perfect conditions, perfect weather. They’re inside they don’t wear masks,” Trump said during a Rose Garden event on insulin prices.

“And so I thought it was very unusual that he had it on. But I thought that was fine. I wasn’t criticizing him at all. Why would I do a thing like that?” Trump added.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance urges Americans to wear masks or cloth face coverings when they are in public areas and unable to keep six feet of distance from other people in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The president appeared to mock Biden for the decision to wear a mask when he retweeted Fox News analyst Brit Hume, who shared a photo of Biden and wrote “This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public.”

Biden was asked about the tweet during a CNN interview on Tuesday.

“He’s a fool. An absolute fool to talk that way,” the former vice president said. “Every leading [doctor] in the world is saying we should wear a mask when you’re in a crowd.”

Monday marked the first time in several weeks Biden was spotted outside his home, where he has been confined during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden makes first public appearance in months on Memorial Day https://t.co/AzfujALUhr pic.twitter.com/GkQE5S08At

— The Hill (@thehill) May 25, 2020

His decision to wear a mask was in sharp contrast to Trump, who has opted not to wear a mask while on camera. Asked about that decision last week, Trump said he didn’t want to give reporters “the pleasure” of seeing him with a face covering. A photo later emerged of him wearing one behind the scenes at a Ford factory. 

The president has expressed reluctance about masks since the CDC first recommended them as a safeguard against spreading coronavirus. He said at the time that he would choose not to wear one, and suggested it would be poor optics if he wore a mask during a meeting with world leaders.

When asked whether he was mocking Biden’s decision to wear a mask by retweeting Hume, Trump asked Reuters reporter Jeff Mason to remove his mask so he could hear him more clearly.

“I’ll just speak louder,” Mason said.

“Oh, OK, because you want to be politically correct,” Trump replied.