The President continues to try and steer the country through the coronavirus pandemic.
But President Trump is increasingly running into conflict with Dr. Tony Fauci.
And Donald Trump just shut down Dr. Fauci with one rude awakening.
In an interview with C-SPAN, Dr. Tony Fauci claimed government officials needed to stress the idea of mandating every American wear a mask in public to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“I can say as a public health official I would urge the leaders, the local, political and other leaders in states and cities and towns to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks,” Dr. Fauci told C-SPAN.
Months ago, Dr. Fauci claimed no one should wear masks, but now a government mask mandate is the centerpiece of his new strategy to combat the virus.
“Masks are important as part of the physical distancing. Physical distancing is the most important, but practically when you’re living your life and trying to open up the country. You are going to come into contact with people. And for that reason, we know that masks are really important. And we should be using them. Everyone,” Dr. Fauci concluded.
In an interview with “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace, President Trump rejected the idea of a national mask mandate.
“No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don’t believe in that,” Trump explained to Wallace. “No, and I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody would wear a mask, everything disappears. Hey, Dr. Fauci said, don’t wear a mask. Our Surgeon General – terrific guy – said, don’t wear a mask. Everybody who is saying don’t wear a mask – all of a sudden everybody’s got to wear a mask, and as you know, masks cause problems, too. With that being said, I’m a believer in masks. I think masks are good.”
There is one reality that also intrudes upon all this talk of a national mask mandate.
The federal government has no power to implement one.
President Trump could only mandate masks on federal lands or in government buildings.
Many Americans also see mask mandates as an infringement on their fundamental rights and unconstitutional.
Millions of Americans also do not trust so-called public health “experts” like Dr. Fauci because back in March they were telling the public not buy masks and that wearing them could make the situation worse.
Instead, Dr. Fauci claimed shutting down the economy was the best way to stamp out the coronavirus.
The mixed and conflicting messages from these “experts” on issues like masks and how it’s OK to violate mass gathering restrictions to attend Black Lives Matter protests only added to the Americans’ belief that the public health recommendations were political in nature.
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