Joe Biden wore a mask while paying tribute to fallen veterans on Memorial Day 2020. Jill Biden, his wife, also wore a protective mask, as did the Secret Service detail protecting the Bidens. The event was the first that Biden has attended outside of his home in weeks since the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Donald Trump has refused to wear a mask in public. Trump reportedly believes wearing a mask will make him look weak. Health experts, including the CDC, have recommended masks. Masks protect against the spread of COVID-19, which has killed 100,000 Americans.
News Coverage
NY Times: “Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, cut a sharp visual contrast with President Trump, who has generally declined to wear a mask in public despite federal health recommendations, including at a memorial service on Monday.”
Associated Press (AP): “When Biden emerged on Monday, he wore a face mask, in contrast to President Donald Trump, who has refused to cover his face in public as health officials suggest.”
NBC: “Joined by his wife, Jill, and a protective detail from the Secret Service for the first time publicly, Biden wore a black face mask and his signature aviator sunglasses as he laid a wreath of white flowers at the Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle.”
TMZ: ” Joe and his wife, Jill, ventured outside for the first time since the shelter-at-home orders were implemented and his presidential campaign came to a screeching halt. The former VP and Jill laid a wreath during a visit to a veterans memorial in Delaware.”
Praise
Biden was widely praised for wearing a mask and was favorably compared to Trump, who has refused to wear one.
A man with confidence—anyone with confidence—dons a mask without question, as Biden here, if that's what public health requires. A draft-dodging coward—like Trump—comes up with a million excuses for why a mask would somehow project weakness. It's because he *knows* he's a coward. https://t.co/UPPJ1g5yAc
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) May 25, 2020
Joe Biden already did something more significant in 10 seconds on television than Donald Trump has done in 3 1/2 years. He modeled safe behavior by wearing a mask during a pandemic that has killed 100,000 of our brothers and sisters. Thank you, Joe Biden.
— Jason Overstreet 🩸🦷🗽 (@JasonOverstreet) May 25, 2020
It took Joe Biden 10 seconds of his first in-person appearance to do more to stop the pandemic than Trump.
All it took was the simple act of wearing a mask. pic.twitter.com/HZ0md3X68j
— Dave Pell (@davepell) May 25, 2020
I'll take Joe Biden RESPONSIBLY campaigning from his home and not risking anyone else's safety or resources
OVER
trump visiting Arlington, Fort McHenry, or ANY American city without wearing a fucking mask ANY day.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) May 25, 2020
Joe Biden Memorial Day Mask Photos
Photos of Joe and Jill Biden wearing protective masks on Memorial Day.
Joe Biden out in public for first time since early March and with a full Secret Service detail as presumptive nominee. Previous Secret Service protection ended when he left office as VP. pic.twitter.com/jss7fSniJ6
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) May 25, 2020
AFP: “Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, emerged from more than two months seclusion Monday, wearing a black face mask during a visit to lay a wreath on the day the United States honors its war dead.”#MemorialDay 2020. pic.twitter.com/1s4E9dUsrs
— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) May 25, 2020
Joe Biden has left his house for the first time in two months for a Memorial Day visit to the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park and lay a wreath. pic.twitter.com/34D4Gd0YcC
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 25, 2020
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, emerged from more than two months seclusion Monday, wearing a black face mask during a visit to lay a wreath on the day the United States honors its war dead pic.twitter.com/k9OGz7r6vp
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 25, 2020
Joe Biden Memorial Day Mask Videos
Videos of Joe Biden and Jill Biden wearing masks at a veterans memorial on Memorial Day.
Presidential candidate Joe Biden went outside publicly for the first time in months, donning a mask to lay a wreath in honor of fallen service members. https://t.co/RINqNE46Z7 pic.twitter.com/lDuyDZFioc
— CNN (@CNN) May 25, 2020
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.