U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams begged those who were watching him on “Fox and Friends” on Monday morning to wear masks as President Donald Trump, who enjoys a friendly audience at Fox News, constantly dismisses the importance of mask-wearing.
Adams told the co-hosts of “Fox and Friends” that the pandemic could be brought to heel within two months if everyone wore masks and followed social distancing guidelines, but “it relies on the individual people of America doing the right thing.”
“And that’s why I’m pleading with your viewers, I’m begging you, please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering,” the health official said. “We’re not trying to take away your ability to go out when we say keep restaurant capacity under 50 percent.”
“We’re saying if we do these things, we can actually open and stay open,” he continued. “We can get back to school, to worship, to jobs. We can do this.”
Adams’ plea smacks of damage control after President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that a presidential mandate requiring Americans to wear masks would infringe on their freedoms.
“I want people to have a certain freedom,” Trump told Fox News host Chris Wallace, adding “I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody wore a mask, everything disappears.”
Watch Adams below:
Surgeon General Jerome Adams tells "Fox and Friends" hosts that he's "pleading with your viewers" to wear masks. pic.twitter.com/ITzc6sPb3I
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 20, 2020
