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Trump Just Blamed Biden for Not Implementing a Mask Mandate and Biden Had the Perfect Response

Trump Just Blamed Biden for Not Implementing a Mask Mandate and Biden Had the Perfect Response
ABC News // Drew Angerer/Getty Images

For months, health experts have implored Americans to wear masks or other facial coverings in public—one of the simplest, most effective precautions against spreading the virus that's killed nearly 200 thousand Americans.

Since first announcing updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging mask usage, President Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed or contradicted these recommendations, leading many of his supporters across the nation to do the same, sometimes at their peril.

As recently as Tuesday, the President retweeted a video of senior citizens—one of the hardest-hit groups by the virus–dancing to Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," removing their masks in protest.

So when Trump appeared at an ABC News Town Hall that night to answer questions from socially distanced prospective voters, the President was inevitably asked about why he hasn't issued a national mask mandate and why he hasn't worn a mask more often himself.

Watch below.

The President tried to lob these criticisms against his opponent, Democratic nominee Joe Biden:

"I will say this, they said at the Democrat convention, they're gonna do a national mandate. They never did it, because they checked out and they didn't do it. And a good question is you ask, like, Joe Biden...He didn't do it. He never did it."

Biden, along with Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, announced at the Democratic convention that if elected, Biden would order the nation's governors to institute a nationwide mask mandate in their states.

But while Biden has influence, he's still as of yet a private citizen, and cannot issue mandates to governors. He has, however, encouraged governors to issue these mandates on their own.

A terse tweet from Biden's official Twitter account reminded Trump that Biden is not yet President—and the Biden camp used the moment to encourage donations to his campaign.

Biden's supporters applauded the response.




Others were flummoxed at what Trump expected Biden to do as a candidate.





It won't be until after November 3 that Americans learn whether or not Biden will remain a private citizen or ascend to the Presidency.