Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Trump wearing a face mask in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump wore a face mask during his Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to AP.
Why it matters: This is the first known occasion the president has appeared publicly with a facial covering as recommended by health officials since the coronavirus pandemic began, AP writes.
What they're saying: “When you’re in a hospital, especially ... I think it’s expected to wear a mask," Trump said as he left the White House Saturday, per AP.
The big picture: The president refused to wear a mask in May while touring a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan because he "didn’t want to give the press the pleasure” of seeing him wearing the protective covering.
- Joe Biden criticized Trump in May for ridiculing face masks, calling him "an absolute fool to talk that way."
- Congressional Republicans have recently started to advocate for masks and aggressive testing for the virus coronavirus amid a surge in new cases around the country.
Go deeper: Where the science stands on using face masks against coronavirus