Joe Biden has appealed for a national obligation to wear a coronavirus mask . "Every American should wear a face mask when out for the next three months at a minimum," he said after a pandemic briefing with a panel of experts, arguing that such a measure could save 40,000 lives in this period. "Every governor should make it mandatory," he added. "Be patriots, protect your fellow citizens, do the right thing," he urged.
Donald Trump has rejected his White House rival Joe Biden's call for a national pandemic mask obligation, arguing that it is beyond presidential powers. During the Covid emergency, however, the tycoon claimed total power in the matter, also dusting off a law of war.