President Donald Trump toured the Ford plant in Ypsilanti Township, MI, mostly without a mask. However, at some point the president donned a dark blue protective face mask and it was photographed.
As of now, this may be the first known photograph of President Donald Trump wearing the protective covering. Trump was warned by officials to wear the protective covering, but he refused during part of the trip, stating that “I did not want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,” per AP. Trump does not wish to wear a mask in front of the camera during his time with the press.
The president noted that he wore his mask during other parts of the visit and that is where this photograph likely originated, although it remains unclear who took the photograph. His mask was blue and had White House branding upon it.
But Trump’s visit to the Ford plant wasn’t about his use of the mask. It was a visit focused on putting the spotlight on how the Ford plant was repurposed to create and manufacture lifesaving devices such as ventilators and breathing machines while the country was in demand for such items.
However, Michigan is also considered a big electoral state and Trump’s visit may have served a dual purpose. Aside from spotlighting the work done by Ford to help the country during a time of need, President Trump is currently at odds ends with Governor Gretchen Whitmer who’s made several headline articles herself in the past weeks.
Whitmer and Trump have battled before and he threatened to withhold federal funding in regards to Michigan’s effort to support voting by mail.
Both Whitmer and Trump have different views on the concept.
Whitmer also criticized the president about not wearing a mask, stating that it was important for him to model the behavior expected of everyone else.
Michigan’s electoral votes could go in either direction depending on how Governor Whitmer runs her state, as much of her criticism comes from her extension of the stay-at-home orders and many residents having a strong desire to return to work and sustain their livelihood.