Enough Concealer for Two Faces

Masking the reality of PPE, distancing, and contact tracing in the White House

What the POTUS is pretending:

• To look strong or invincible
• Not to be that worried about contracting COVID-19

What he’s actually doing:

• Requiring that White House staff be frequently tested
• Relying on workplace contact tracing to control community spread when people like Katie Miller (Mike Pence’s press secretary) test positive
• Encouraging staff to telework if at all possible and wear masks in the White House when unable to socially distance
• Failing to model wearing masks that can protect others, including when meeting World War II veterans
• Promoting armed protests against lockdowns and reopening states with limited testing and minimal contact tracing capacity
• Forcing governors to take charge of testing and PPE acquisition in order to control community spread and reopen economies responsibly
• Saying things that contradict his own experts’ statements about who can get tested and the likelihood of the virus “vanishing” without a vaccine

What might actually help:

• Wearing a mask to model community health-promoting behaviors for all citizens
• Providing accurate information to mitigate risk as distancing measures ease
• Finding a competent manager to assist states in surging tests and using contact tracing around the country (hint: not his son-in-law)