Trump Pictured Wearing Facemask Despite Controversy On Ford Factory Tour

Trump defied Ford’s policy, Michigan law and CDC guidelines by refusing to wear a face mask during the photographed parts of his tour on Thursday. The carmaker requires everyone in its factories to wear the covering on the premises.

But photos have since emerged on social media of Trump donning the navy blue mask, emblazoned with a presidential seal, during sections of the tour where the press and cameras were not in close proximity.

During the tour, Trump told reporters: “I had one on before…but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.” Confusingly, he also said that he thought his decision “sets an example both ways.”

Ford had provided the President with a mask and on Thursday, Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in a statement that he had encouraged Trump to wear the protection.

“He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years. The president later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit,” Ford said, in a statement reported by NBC news.

Under normal circumstances, Trump’s visit is a breach of Michigan state governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order that bans non-essential visits to factories, but the policy was waived for the President. Trump has so far visited three separate factories during the crisis.