Biden calls Trump ‘absolute fool’ for not wearing a mask
WASHINGTON: US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday called his Republican rival, President Donald Trump, an "absolute fool" for not wearing a mask at a series of recent public events, saying his lack of leadership on the issue is "costing peoples' lives".
The decision whether to wear a face mask in public has emerged as a national political battle, and the two presidential candidates have adopted very different approaches.
Mr Biden's decision to wear a mask outdoors on Memorial Day at his first public event since March caught the attention of Mr Trump, who retweeted an image of Mr Biden at the event accompanied by a comment: "This might help explain why Trump doesn't like to wear a mask in public."
The president has resisted wearing masks in front of cameras at a series of public events, including on Memorial Day.
"He's a fool, an absolute fool to talk that way. Every leading doc in the world says you should be wearing a mask in a crowd," Mr Biden said in a taped interview with CNN.
Mr Biden, 77, called Mr Trump's behaviour "macho stuff" and falsely masculine actions that were costing people's lives.
The president said on Tuesday he thought it was "very unusual" that Biden wore the mask on Memorial Day since he was outside in good weather.
The same day he had a go at a reporter who was wearing a mask.
"You want to be politically correct," the president said to Reuters reporter Jeff Mason, whom he had asked to remove his mask to ask a question more audibly.
"No. I just want to wear the mask," Mr Mason responded without removing his mask.
Mr Trump, who has restarted his travel schedule in recent weeks, has knocked the Democrat for not leaving his house.
"The president is excited to see that Joe emerged from the basement. It is a bit peculiar though that, in his basement, right next to his wife, he's not wearing a mask, but he's wearing one outdoors when he's socially distanced. So I think that there was a discrepancy there," White House spokesman Kayleigh McEnany said.
Ms McEnany said Mr Biden's choice to wear a mask did not strike Mr Trump as "a very data-driven decision". - REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
