Following Donald Trump's recent visit to Atlanta, the city mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms accused the president of breaking the law by not wearing a face mask at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Responding to the mayor's accusation, the White House claimed Trump followed the guidelines from the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) during the aforesaid trip.
Trump has not been a big supporter of wearing masks and even made a public appearance during the Tulsa rally without a mask. Living up to his reputation, the president refrained from donning masking during his Atlanta visit on July 15. During an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Trump broke the law.
She noted that the Hartsfield-Jackson airport is operated and owned by Atlanta, and thus included in her executive order requiring visitors to wear masks. The White House did not directly address the mayor's accusation when asked for a response but said the president was following CDC guidelines.
Deputy press secretary Judd Deere released a statement to CNN saying Trump takes the safety and health of all White House operations and everyone traveling in his support very seriously. Ahead of any travel, White House Operations teams up with the Physician to the President, as well as the White House Military Office to make sure the plan coincides with the current CDC guidelines and best guidance for restricting exposure to COVID-19 as much as possible.
Moreover, an administration official clarified that Trump and everyone close to him get tested, adding that he never left the airport. Finally paying heed to his staff, Trump wore a mask during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last week. This was the first time he was spotted wearing a mask.
Touted as one of the top prospects to be Joe Biden's running mate, Bottoms said during the interview that she was not shocked to see Trump not wearing a mask. By not wearing a mask, Bottoms said Trump violated the law in the city of Atlanta, but noted that she wasn't surprised that he decided to ignore the city's rules and regulations.
Bottoms said she was glad that others showed some regard for what the people of the city are trying to accomplish and that's to restrict the spread of COVID-19. Her remarks come in the wake of a dispute with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp about whether or not her mandatory mask law can be enforced in the city, given that it exceeds the measures he has put in place.