When asked for an answer, the White House did not directly address Bottoms’ accusation and said Trump was following the CDC’s lead.
“The president takes the health and safety of all those who travel in support of himself and all White House operations very seriously,” Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to CNN.
“In preparing for and taking any trip, White House Operations collaborates with the Physician with the President and the White House Military Office to ensure that plans incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices to limit exposure to COVID-19 as much as possible. “
An administration official added that the president and everyone close to him are screened and that he never left the airport.
Trump wore a mask during a visit to the Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday, the first time he was seen wearing a mask in public after weeks of his staff asking him to do so.
Bottoms, a top prospect for presumptive fellow Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, said during the interview with Blitzer that he was not surprised by Trump’s decision not to wear a mask.
“So by not wearing a mask, President Trump violated the law in the city of Atlanta, but somehow I’m not surprised that he ignored our city rules and regulations,” he said.
“But it was encouraging to see that others had some regard for what we are doing and tried to achieve in Atlanta and that is to curb the spread of Covid-19.”
Bottoms argues that since the airport is owned and operated by the city, it is under its jurisdiction to enforce, and failure to wear a mask can be punished by a fine, fine, and even up to six months in jail.
When asked if he was going to give Trump a subpoena, Bottoms said: “Just a quote that sends him back to Washington, DC.”
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