Trump returned to the White House Monday night in a staged, melodramatic photo opp, pausing to take off his mask — even though there were staffers nearby — and compared COVID to the flu:
His doctor, Dr. Sean Conley, warned that the president was not ‘out of the woods’ but would get the care he needed at the White House. Indeed, Trump seemed to be gasping for breath as he stood on the South Portico.
By dismissing the dangerous virus that has killed over 200,000 people — ‘don’t be afraid of COVID’– and ripping off his mask Trump endangers more people who will model his behavior and cavalierly infect others.
Medical experts immediately cautioned people not to let their guard down and Joe Biden said on Monday night that the president was ‘responsible’ for his COVID-19 infection and blasted the president’s ‘macho’ attitude of avoiding mask-wearing.
‘Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, masks don’t matter, social distancing doesn’t matter, I think is responsible for what happens to them,’ Biden said after Trump posed without a face covering.
‘What is this macho thing, ‘I’m not going to wear a mask?’ What’s the deal here? Big deal, does it hurt you? Be patriotic for god’s sake! Take care of yourself, but take care of your neighbors,’ the Democratic nominee said.