Vice President Mike Pence And A Series Of Other Republican Party Members Started Out Of Line With Trump's Antimasker

Presiden AS Donald Trump (Instagram/@RealDonaldTrump)

JAKARTA - The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in several states in the United States (US) was accompanied by a boom in hospitals. Unlike in the early months of the pandemic, this time the southern and western regions have been hardest hit.

Despite a new spike in COVID-19 infections in many areas, and despite the recommendations of his own administration's health experts, US President Donald Trump has firmly refused to wear a mask. In fact, late last month, Trump mocked presidential candidate and rival Joe Biden for wearing a mask in public.

Several top Democrats, including Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, have loudly called on the president to issue a mandate to use national masks. Over the past weekend, Pelosi said the national directive on the use of masks was long overdue.

He added that Trump should be an example for society in warding off the virus through the use of masks. Last week, Joe Biden also said that if he was elected president in November, he would try to use federal force to require all Americans to wear masks in public places.

Republicans who "defected" from Trump

Launching the New York Times, Thursday, July 1, the importance of using masks has also been recognized by US Vice President Mike Pence. Suddenly and regularly, Pence put on a mask and recommended wearing a mask.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, also a Republican, is facing an uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreak in his state. He continues to urge the public to use masks when in public places.

Initially, many Republicans followed Trump's lead, rejecting the use of masks. But recently calls for wearing masks have started coming from all directions. From members of the senate, from Republicans who are no longer in government, and from those whose states have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases.

On Tuesday, June 30, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who is also chairman of the Senate Republican Health Committee, begged Trump to wear a mask. He also wants the partisan divide between mask users and that it cannot be ended. Some Republicans hid their masks because Trump refused to wear them.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who often wears masks in public, said that we must remove the stigma of wearing masks. "Wearing a mask is not about protecting ourselves. It's about protecting everyone we meet," he said.

Dennis Bonnen, Republican speaker from the House of Representatives of Texas, has been outspoken about the need to wear masks to reopen the country's economy. "It is time to stand up against mask opponents who speak out loud but are acting irresponsibly," he said in a statement.

Other Republicans have also pointed out the use of masks, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. They also routinely wear masks and urge their constituents to do the same.

Democrat officials have long supported the use of masks, arguing for months that a valuable object could slow the spread of the virus, especially indoors and in crowded places where social distancing is not possible.

"We have tried to work against the masks alignment barrier," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.