During a Friday interview on NBC’s Today Show, host Craig Melvin asked Biden whether he would continue to wear a mask outdoors now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say fully vaccinated people don’t have to.
“Sure,” Biden replied, adding however that the likelihood of being outside without people coming up to him was “not very high.”
The president claimed that if he were sitting closer to Melvin, they would be wearing masks “even though we’ve both been vaccinated,” before calling face masks “a small precaution” that has a “profound impact.”
“It’s a patriotic responsibility for God’s sake!” Biden argued, concluding that it’s about “making sure that your wife, your children, if in fact they haven’t been vaccinated” are “not going to get sick.”
Some have questioned Biden’s strict approach to face masks.
The president was mocked on Thursday during an event in Duluth, Georgia after he frantically searched for his face mask while outside at the podium to no avail, telling supporters, “I’m looking for my mask. I’m in trouble.” Biden eventually found a mask in his pocket.
Biden was also ridiculed the week prior after a screenshot of a virtual climate summit with other world leaders showed him to be the only leader wearing a mask at that moment. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden was sending a “message” to the world by wearing a mask during the virtual call.
Biden told Americans in a maskless address last week that they “no longer need to wear a mask,” provided they’re outdoors, fully vaccinated, and “not in a big crowd” – echoing the CDC’s latest guidelines.
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