Covid-19: Republicans divided over Donald Trump's mockery of wearing masks

As President Donald Trump continues to treat face masks as something to mock and refuses to wear one in public, there has been a growing chorus of Republicans against President's suggestion that wearing cloth masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus is considered a sign of 'personal weakness' or 'political correctness'.

Among them are Governors, who seek to prevent a rebound in Covid-19 cases and federal lawmakers, who face tough re-election fights later this year, as national polling shows lopsided support for wearing masks in public, The Washington Post reported.

Some Republican strategists are of the view there was a clear logic to Trump's tactics, assuming voters see them positioning Trump as a champion for the return to normal life.

"Wearing a face covering is not about politics - it's about helping other people. This is one time when we truly are all in this together. What we do directly impacts others," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine tweeted on Tuesday, while echoing comments by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum last week.

On Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell posted a photograph of himself wearing a mask on Instagram. While Fred Upton has added '#wearyourmask' to his Twitter handle.

Senator John Cornyn, who is running for re-election this year, shared a photograph of himself in a mask on Monday, asking others to adopt the practice. "We all have to do our part. Maintain social distancing but if you can't, do this. Easy peasy. Go for it," Cornyn wrote on Instagram.

Democratic rival Joe Biden called President Donald Trump "an absolute fool" for sharing a tweet that mocked the former vice president for wearing a mask at a Memorial Day ceremony.

Interestingly, White House staff members are required to wear masks in the building, though the President is exempted from that rule.

Re-tweeting a photograph of Biden, Trump captioned the image, "This might help explain why Trump doesn't like to wear a mask in public."

Jabs like these have sharpened a divide that polls show largely exists within the party, as clear majorities of the Democratic Party and independents have embraced the need for wearing masks.

This month, a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 89 per cent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents report wearing a mask every time or most of the time when they leave home, compared with 58 per cent of Republicans.

Meanwhile, three recent public polls have found that between 64 and 72 per cent of the public says that President Trump should wear a mask, while between 38 and 48 per cent of Republicans say that he should do so.

"That is an issue that divides Republicans and not anybody else," said Nick Gourevitch, a Democratic pollster.

These attacks from Trump and his allies over masks have "similarly cheered Biden's advisers, who view the debate as a way for showing the contrast Democrats see as the heart of their message for the fall," the US daily stated.

"Presidents are supposed to lead, not engage in folly and be falsely masculine. It reminds me of the guys I grew up with playing ball. They would walk around with a ball, but they didn't like to hit very much," Biden said.

Previously, Trump has said that he supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations that face masks be worn by everyone "in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain." But he has also said, "I don't think I am going to be doing it.