Trump claims he’s pro-mask then immediately says Biden will ‘grind society to a halt’ with mandatory face covering rule

For many months president refused to wear a mask himself

Donald Trump has claimed he is in favour of face masks, even as he denounced Joe Biden for urging all Americans to wear the coverings for the next three months at least.

Speaking on a day when the number of coronavirus infections in the US stood at 5.2m and the number of the deaths at more than 166,000, the president said it was the patriotic duty of everyone to wear a mask.

“Maybe they’re great, maybe they’re just good, maybe they’re not so good,” Mr Trump said at a White House briefing about the pandemic.

Yet he then attacked Mr Biden, his Democratic rival, who the same day had said would be incumbent upon all Americans to wear masks

He and his newly minted running mate, Kamala Harris, urged for their to be a mandatory wearing of masks while outdoors. They said doing so could save 40,000 lives over the next three months.

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“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum,” said Mr Biden.

“Wearing a mask is going to get our kids back to school sooner and safer.”

Mr Trump tried to attack Mr Biden for his plan, accusing him of having spent months in Delaware basement

“Sleepy Joe rejects the scientific approach in favour of locking all Americans in their basements for months on end,” said the president.

He said Mr Biden “wants to shut down our economy, close our schools and grind society to a halt – and he wants it done by a federal decree”.

The back and forth underscored the way in which the wearing of masks has some how become politicised in the US, to the despair of health experts, who say wearing masks can save lives.

Mr Biden called on mask sceptics to consider their responsibility to others.

“It’s not about your rights, it’s about your responsibilities,” he said. “This is America. Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens. Do the right thing.”