On the same day he patted himself on the back for finally wearing a mask on Monday, President Donald Trump held a campaign fundraiser at his hotel in Washington, D.C. without a facial covering.
In an Instagram video of the event posted by Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina congressional GOP candidate, Trump is seen speaking close to a crowd of people without a mask. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are also in the video, and like Trump, they are seen mingling with attendees bare-faced with little distance between them.
Their lack of facial coverings is a violation of the hotel’s policy mandating that masks are “required for all associates and guests while in public areas where social distancing is not possible,” in adherence to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s city ordinance on masks.
Earlier on Monday, Trump had tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask after months of mostly refusing to do so and downplaying the effectiveness of wearing facial coverings to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The President called himself “Patriotic” for finally donning a mask, which he had reportedly done as a means to rescue his sinking approval ratings.
Cawthorn’s video was first flagged by ABC News on Tuesday.
