The White House defended Thursday President Trump
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The White House told CNN that Trump was following instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when he attended an unmasked event at the Atlanta airport. Trump’s visit to the city was limited by his announcement that his administration would void one of the nation’s fundamental environmental laws.
“The president takes the health and safety of all those who travel in support of himself and all White House operations very seriously,” White House 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 noted that people close to the president are regularly screened for the virus and that the president never left the airport.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Images of Trump’s visit to the Atlanta airport showed Trump avoided covering his face while officials around him used them.
Speaking on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Bottoms said Trump’s move amounted to a violation of his executive order that required people to wear masks amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“I signed an executive order requiring masks in the city of Atlanta and specifically on city properties, which is Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. So, by not having the mask, President Trump violated the law in the city of Atlanta, “she said.
“Somehow I’m not surprised that she ignored our rules and regulations in this city,” added Bottoms, who announced earlier this month that she contracted COVID-19. “But it was encouraging to see that others had some regard for what we are doing and trying to accomplish in Atlanta, and that is to curb the spread of COVID-19.”
A recent increase in coronavirus cases in the US has coincided with an aggressive push by federal, state, and local leaders to have the public wear masks in public. At least 22 states and Washington, DC, have instituted measures that require covering their faces.
However, Trump has been reluctant to use them in public. He wore a covered face in camera view for the first time last Saturday during a visit to Walter Reed Hospital.
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