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Secret Service agents are reportedly being ordered to wear face masks even though Trump doesn't

Connor Perrett   

Secret Service agents are reportedly being ordered to wear face masks even though Trump doesn't
International2 min read
  • Members of the US Secret Service have been ordered to wear facial coverings when in contact with the president, ABC News reported.
  • The White House is also reportedly considering plans to keep a six-foot distance between individuals, and a plan that would keep Trump and Pence separated.
  • The president has continued to make public appearances without wearing a face mask, as a previous report says he thinks that doing so would harm his chances at reelection.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Members of the US Secret Service will reportedly begin wearing facial coverings when in the presence of President Donald Trump — or when near the Oval Office — even as the president still refuses to publicly wear one.

ABC News reported Sunday that the White House is considering a host of new measures to keep the president and vice president protected from COVID-19, as at least a dozen people with potential access to Trump and Pence tested positive for the virus last week. According to the report, more than a dozen people will receive daily tests before they are allowed to report to work in the West Wing.

As ABC noted, some members of the president's Secret Service detail were seen wearing masks last week during his visit to a Honeywell International factory in Phoenix, Arizona. The president received flack for appearing without a mask during his visit, though Trump said he wore one "backstage" and was not required to do so.

Vice President Mike Pence received similar backlash when he visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota at the end of April and was the only person photographed without a facial covering. He later said he should've worn a mask when he visited the clinic.

The White House is also reportedly considering enacting a six-foot distancing between individuals in meetings, ABC News reported. People familiar with the discussions told ABC it had been suggested that the president and vice president could be separated, though the plan is unlikely, according to the report.

There so far has not been a required six-foot distance between individuals, and aides haven't been required to wear face masks. Sources told the outlet that aides may start wearing masks, though it won't be required.

The New York Times reported Sunday that the president had become "spooked" by the infection of people close to him, including his own personal valet and Katie Miller, Pence's press secretary.

However, Trump refrains from wearing a face mask in public because he fears it could hurt his chances of winning re-election in November, according to a previous report from the Associated Press. The president believes that wearing a facial covering would "send the wrong message," and would make it appear he is focused on health rather than the economy, administration and campaign sources told the AP.

On Sunday, Kevin Hassett, a senior economic adviser to the president, said he wore a mask in the White House when he viewed doing so was "appropriate" but called the West Wing "relatively cramped." He added that White House staff knew the risks associated with reporting to work but did so anyway out of a "love" for the country.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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