Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Blasts Trump As An 'Absolute Fool' For Caving To 'Macho' Pressure And Not Wearing Mask
The New York Times: Biden, Urging Face Masks, Calls Trump A ‘Fool’ For Not Wearing One
Joseph R. Biden Jr. laced into President Trump on Tuesday, calling him an “absolute fool” for refusing to wear a mask in public on Memorial Day and for appearing to scoff at the former vice president for wearing one. “He’s a fool, an absolute fool to talk that way,” Mr. Biden said in an interview with Dana Bash of CNN, his first in-person interview since the coronavirus crisis took him off the campaign trail. Castigating Mr. Trump for “this macho stuff,” Mr. Biden accused him of “stoking deaths” and aggravating cultural divisions over mask-wearing. (Ember, 5/26)
Politico: Biden: Trump's 'An Absolute Fool' For Stoking Face Mask Controversy
He accused Trump of caving to “macho stuff,” the argument advanced by some opposed to wearing masks that doing so is a sign of weakness. “That's not going to increase the likelihood that people are going to be better off,” he added later. Asked Tuesday how he viewed wearing a face covering, Biden said he believes doing so projects “leadership.”(Oprysko, 5/26)
The Washington Post: Trump Calls Mask Wearing ‘Politically Correct,’ Biden Calls Him A ‘Fool’
President Trump dismissed a mask-wearing reporter as being “politically correct” on Tuesday while the presumptive Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, called him a “fool” for mocking their use. The president’s refusal to wear a face mask in public, defying recommendations from public health experts, has become a symbol for his supporters resisting stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus crisis. To wear one then is seen by some as being anti-Trump. (Itkowtiz, 5/26)
The Hill: Biden Accuses Trump Of 'Stoking Deaths,' Being 'Falsely Masculine'
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a briefing on Tuesday that it was "peculiar" that Biden wore a mask outside but does not wear a mask inside next to his wife. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. (Manchester, 5/26)
Politico: ‘Why Are You Not Burying Him?’: Trump Allies Fret Over Rising Biden Threat
Some of President Donald Trump‘s political allies and donors are starting to get antsy. With only five months until the November general election, several Trump advisers, campaign veterans and prominent Republicans see the Trump campaign’s efforts to define and damage former vice president Joe Biden falling short. (Cook, 5/27)
