WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, during a hearing on Capitol Hill, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) questioned the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Robert Redfield about President Trump’s failure to promote the use of face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

During the exchange, Dr. Redfield stated: “I’m not going to comment directly about the president. But I am going to comment as the CDC director that these face masks are the most powerful public health tool we have and I will continue to appeal to all Americans to embrace these face masks.  If we did for 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks we’d bring this pandemic under control. I might even go so far as to say that this face covering is more guaranteed to protect me against COVID than when I take a COVID vaccine because the immunogenicity may be 70 percent and if I don’t get an immune response the vaccine’s not going to protect me. This face mask will.”

But later that evening, President Trump directly contradicted his own CDC director, telling reporters. “Number one, it’s not more effective, by any means, than a vaccine, and I called him about that. Those were the two things I discussed with him. And I believe that if you ask him, he would probably say that he didn’t understand the question.”

Today, Senator Reed issued the following statement:

“This is just another example of Donald Trump spurning basic facts and rebuking experts for telling the truth.

“The fact is: there would be far fewer deaths in this country if we had more stable, consistent leadership from this President. 

“President Trump’s failure to set an example and his continued efforts to undercut public health experts and scientists is making America sick.

“No president in U.S. history has demonstrated so little regard for public health as the current occupant of the Oval Office.  While millions of Americans are sacrificing for the common good and doing their best to protect others, he is putting lives at risk and spreading misinformation.  It’s disgraceful.

“The more people who wear masks, the more effective masks are as a tool in the fight against COVID.  Instead of pressuring his own CDC director and endangering the public, President Trump should do the right thing and start wearing a mask in public and encouraging others to do the same.”