The White House Friday dismissed criticism of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper attending — without masks — a gathering Friday of World War II veterans marking the 75th anniversary of victory in Europe.
According to The Washington Post, Trump greeted a rank of seven veterans one by one from a distance of a few feet, a White House television pool video of the event shows. The vets weren’t wearing masks either.
“Leave it to the media to question seven brave war heroes for joining the President of the United States at the Nation’s World War II Memorial on the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.
“As young men, these heroes stared evil in the eyes and liberated nations — no pandemic stopped them from joining their Commander in Chief for this momentous occasion,” he said.
The veterans in attendance were “choosing nation over self,” Deere added.
The vets were tested before arrival, a White House official said, and ranged in age between 96 and 100. Older people are at particular risk of illness and death if they contract the coronavirus, with 80% of U.S. deaths recorded for people over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kristofer Goldsmith, the associate director of policy and government affairs for Vietnam Veterans of America, said the mask guideline should have been followed at the event.
“We need the president and his closest aides to immediately start modeling CDC guidelines and behavior that keeps veterans and elderly Americans safe, because what they’re doing right now is going to get people killed,” Goldsmith said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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