Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) criticized President Trump’s decision to not wear a mask publicly during a tour of a Ford factory as “disappointing” in an interview.
“It wasn’t surprising, but it was disappointing,” Whitmer said in an appearance on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow on Thursday.
“As you saw in the footage, all of the Ford executives wore the masks. All of the employees were wearing masks, all of the press were,” Whitmer said. “And it’s really important that anyone with a platform has a responsibility to make sure that they model precisely what we’re asking everyone else to do.”
She added, “This is about public health, not one person’s or another.”
“This is about all of us. And anyone in a position of power and responsibility, I hope, emulates and does precisely what they’re asking everyone else to do,” the Michigan governor continued, noting that car companies and the United Auto Workers union have taken steps to enact safety precautions for auto workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump traveled on Thursday to Ypsilanti, Mich., to tour a Ford factory in Michigan being used to produce ventilators. He did not wear a mask in front of reporters despite the company’s policy requiring all employees and visitors to wear personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of the virus.
Trump toured the factory floor without any face covering, although Ford executives who joined him were wearing masks.
Trump told reporters, “I had one on before. I wore one in this back area, but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
Trump also said that company officials told him a mask was not necessary during the tour.
“Bill Ford encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years. The President later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit.”
Trump has also previously not worn a mask during trips to Arizona and Pennsylvania. The White House had defended Trump’s decision, saying that he is tested daily for the coronavirus and has always tested negative. Officials have said that masks are intended to prevent infected people from spreading the virus.
Several staffers with access to Trump and Vice President Pence tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month, including one of the president’s personal valets.
Trump’s physician has also prescribed hydroxychloroquine for him as a preventative measure against the coronavirus, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed. Trump said this week that he will soon stop taking the medicine and that “I think the regimen finishes in a day or two,” meaning he has been on it for roughly two weeks.