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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have drawn some criticism for meeting with a group of masked Girl Scouts from Maryland at the White House this Friday while not wearing masks themselves.
While the lack of a mask by the president wasn’t unusual, as he’s shown no interest in wearing one, the lack of a mask by the first lady was surprising given what she’d tweeted about exactly a month ago.
Look:
https://t.co/KHasrdTF9E pic.twitter.com/CKUybdVaYh
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 18, 2020
To some, her refusal to don a mask — particularly while meeting with children — suggested her previous tweet was nothing but a publicity stunt.
Look:
Where’s your mask, Melania? No longer believe in wearing one? So your public service announcement was just a publicity stunt? Say it ain’t so!!!
— stonecircle (@stone_circle) May 16, 2020
How can you be married to a bully & try to sell a “be best” slogan?!? Melania, You’re standing in front of Girl Scouts with NO mask on teaching them that your words mean literally nothing. You stand behind a “man” who is more worried about money than human lives. #Bebetter.
— Stacy J. Roosa (@StacyRoosa) May 16, 2020
Yeah, let’s take advice from a woman who couldn’t be bothered to wear a mask around girl scouts or around vets…Neither care about anyone but themselves and they prove it daily by parading around with no masks. 😷
— Stacy J. Roosa (@StacyRoosa) May 16, 2020
Any adult you have meet with these children should be wearing a mask. Shame on you for allowing that to happen at the @WhiteHouse today. A child’s health is not worth a photo op, not even if the parents approved it. Shame on you for allowing bad examples to be set! @FLOTUS
— Lucky Ducky🇺🇸 (@Luckiestduckey) May 16, 2020
Why did you not wear a mask at the Girl Scouts event?
— Mary Johnson (@MaryCEJohnson) May 16, 2020
Why didn’t she insist her husband wear a mask when presenting awards to Girl Scouts, handing them certificates while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with young and vulnerable children?
— stonecircle (@stone_circle) May 16, 2020
mrs Trumpy …So you don’t follow through with Anti bullying project 😡and you don’t follow through with Wear a mask 😡what are you in the WH for ? fail to wear masks at pandemic response event @FLOTUS@realDonaldTrump@PressSec https://t.co/dFCJfw3aFM
— tbo (@tbo30) May 16, 2020
Sure, except the first lady has done more than just issue PSAs — she’s also taken concrete steps to aid health workers in need.
The Girl Scouts were among a group of American heroes who appeared at the White House on Friday to be honored for their efforts on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The men and women we honor today remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild,” the president said during a Rose Garden ceremony.
Turning to the Girl Scouts, he added, “We’re joined by three terrific Girl Scouts. …. These amazing 10-year-olds have donated 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local firefighters, doctors and nurses, and have sent approximately 200 personalized cards to healthcare workers all over — and they’re going to do a lot more.”
Listen to the full speech below:
The first lady didn’t speak, though she did post a tweet about the event that, surprisingly enough, hasn’t been ratioed, despite the anger against her.
Look:
It was inspiring to hear about the acts of kindness & compassion that @girlscouts Troop 744 has been showing to front line workers during this unprecedented time. This is one of just many examples of the spirit we celebrate through #BeBest! pic.twitter.com/LuoSuKPj4Z
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 16, 2020
In fact, judging by the positive responses the tweet generated, it seems the backlash against the first lady may not be as prevalent as one would think.
Case in point:
Thank You Flotus❤️❤️❤️
— Kendra James (@kendrababy011) May 16, 2020
You are a great mentor for the your girls Melania – I get your messages and your style – it’s cool
— steve mahoney 🤗 (@_steve2_) May 16, 2020
Thank you Mrs Trump, you sre an awesome First Lady! #KAG2020LandslideVictory
— Steve Gomez (@spiritsteve) May 16, 2020
You are the best first lady ever
— Vladimir Putin Ⓜ️ (@PutinKGB1) May 16, 2020
Thank you for bringing this to the Forefront Melania!! 😊👍 You’re doing Great Things with #BeBest!!
— Bruce Willhide (@ABSLASH4LIFE) May 16, 2020
The lack of backlash may stem from emerging reports that masks may not be as beneficial for stopping the spread of the coronavirus as originally thought.
In a blog posted earlier this month (but after the first lady’s mid-April tweet about masks), retired neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock argued that “masks pose a serious risk to the healthy.”
“[T]here is no scientific evidence necessitating the wearing of a face mask for prevention,” he wrote before delving into the reasons for not wearing one.
“Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications.”
Perhaps the reason the first lady abstained from wearing a mask Friday was because she’d read Blaylock’s piece? It’s certainly possible.
In fact, she and the president weren’t the only ones at the event to not don a mask. Neither did one of the honorees, Amy Ford, a nurse from West Virginia who’d reportedly traveled to New York to help a hospital overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.
Look:
Perhaps she too has read Blaylock’s piece.
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