Trump announces CDC recommendation to wear masks in public, says he won’t do it himself
At Friday’s coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump announced that the Centers for Disease Control recommends that Americans wear masks in public to protect others from contracting COVID-19. Trump said he will not follow the voluntary guidance.
Video Transcript
DONALD TRUMP: Today also, the CDC is announcing additional steps Americans can take to defend against the transmission of the virus. From recent studies, we know that the transmission from individuals without symptoms is playing a more significant role in the spread of the virus than previously understood. So you don't seem to have symptoms and it still gets transferred.
In light of these studies, the CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure. So it's voluntary. You don't have to do it. They suggest it for a period of time. But this is voluntary. I don't think I'm gonna be doing it. But you have a lot of ways you can look at it, as follows.
The CDC is recommending that Americans wear a basic cloth or fabric mask that can be either purchased online or simply made at home-- probably material that you'd have at home. These face coverings can be easily washed or reused. I want to emphasize that the CDC is not recommending the use of medical grade or surgical grade masks, and we want that to be used for our great medical people that are working so hard and doing some job. Medical protective gear must be reserved for the front line health care workers who are performing those vital services.
The new mask guidelines also do not replace CDC's guidance on social distancing, including staying in your home when possible, standing at least six feet apart for a period of time-- again, we're gonna all come back together here-- we're gonna all come back together-- and practicing hand hygiene, which we should do anyway. A lot of things I think are going to spill over. Shaking hands, maybe, will stay with our country for a long time beyond this.
One of the-- one of our great doctors was telling me that, as you know, we have flus every year, and the number of people killed by the flu is very substantial. It said that if they didn't shake hands, that number would be substantially lower. So maybe it'll stay-- maybe some of these things, long term, will be good.
But those guidelines are still the best and the safest way to avoid the infection. So with the masks, it's going to be really a voluntary thing. You can do it. You don't have to do it. I'm choosing not to do it.
But some people may want to do it, and that's OK. It may be good, probably will. They're making a recommendation. It's only a recommendation. It's voluntary.
- What would people gain from wearing a mask, and why are you opposed to wearing one yourself?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, I just don't want to wear one myself. It's a recommendation. They recommend it.
I'm feeling good. I just don't want to be doing it. I don't know, somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute desk, the great Resolute desk-- I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens-- I don't know. Somehow I don't see it for myself.
I just-- I just-- maybe I'll change my mind. But this will pass, and hopefully it'll pass very quickly. Now, with that being said, if somebody wants to-- I mean, most people can just make something out of a certain material.
So it's very well-designated. It's very simple to do. I won't be doing it personally. It's a recommendation. OK?
- Yes, the question is about the CDC guidelines. I know that they changed over time from February, and there's--
DONALD TRUMP: The guidelines relative to which-- the masks?
- For instance, social distancing, and the number of people who can gather in a group, and so on. And now we have this measure about wearing masks. And I know you told Steve about why you don't want to wear a mask, but I'm just wondering if you can tell us more about why, because it would set--
DONALD TRUMP: I just don't choose to.
- --an example.
DONALD TRUMP: They're not mandatory guidelines. They're guidelines. They suggest you could wear them-- don't have to wear them. In fact, the director is here if you want to say a couple of words about it. I mean, you can, if you want. You don't have to.
- And your decision not to--
DONALD TRUMP: But basically--
- [INAUDIBLE]
DONALD TRUMP: --it's a voluntary thing. Say it, director. You've done a good job.
