Trump Praises Himself: Posts Photo Wearing A Face Mask, Then Calls Himself 'Patriotic'

For only the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, President Donald Trump was photographed wearing a face mask in public on July 12 -- and is now bragging about it on Twitter. Trump praised himself as "patriotic" for doing the deed, and again called COVID-19 the "China virus."

On Monday, Trump tweeted a photo showing himself wearing a black face mask during his visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington D.C. where he met wounded soldiers and health care workers.

Of this visit, he wrote, "We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!"

It was during this visit Trump indicated he might consider wearing face masks more often after constantly saying he has no intention of using one. One reason for his refusing to wear a mask: he didn't want to give the fake news media the satisfaction of seeing him wear one.

He's also continually mocked rival Joe Biden for wearing a face mask in public.

But before he left the White House for Walter Reed, Trump hinted at a change in his point of view.

"I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place," he said.

"I think when you're in a hospital, especially in that particular setting, where you're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that, in some cases, just got off the operating tables, I think it's a great thing to wear a mask."

The first time Trump wore a face mask outside the White House, and only briefly and in front of a few persons, was when he visited the Ford Motor Company plant in Michigan in May.

In April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began recommending people wear face masks or cloth coverings in public to help stop the spread of the virus. Trump told media he wouldn't follow this recommendation.

"I don't think I'm going to be doing it," he said. "Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens -- I just don't see it."

Trump critics say the abrupt turnaround wasn't because Trump suddenly realized a face mask is the best personal tool for preventing the spread of, or catching the virus that causes COVID-19. Trump again downplayed the threat from COVID-19 in an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace Sunday.

His critics say Trump was forced to take this unprecedented action because his resolutely bad poll numbers show him with a double digit deficit behind Joe Biden. Wearing a mask was only damage control.

Back in May, Biden called Trump a fool for refusing to wear a face mask. On June 30, he said he’d make wearing face masks mandatory for all Americans in public.

"The one thing we do know is these masks make a gigantic difference," said Biden. "I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask. Anyone to reopen would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks."