Trump tweets ‘Patriotic’ photo of himself wearing mask

President Trump on Monday tweeted a photo of himself in a face mask and said it was patriotic to wear one amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” Trump tweeted.

The message follows months of Trump avoiding being seen in public wearing a mask, as he touted a message of reopening the economy following business closures in March and April.

Senior Republicans recently have urged more people to wear masks, arguing it can allow businesses to reopen safely and curb a rise in infections across the South and the Southwest.

The image of Trump appears to be from a visit to the Walter Reed military hospital near Washington this month. Trump won rave reviews on social media for his appearance in a dark blue mask with a presidential seal in gold.