Twitterati weigh in after Donald Trump visits Kennedy Space Centre without mask on

Photos and videos of the US President touring the space centre ahead of the scheduled launch with many mask-wearing scientists quickly went viral, and people criticised the president for failing to lead by example.

The Trump family visited the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida for the SpaceX launch. (Source: AP, Reuters)

The historic launch of a SpaceX rocket ship with two NASA astronauts was delayed due to bad weather.But the First Family, which was present for the occasion, visited the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral without masks on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Only daughter Ivanka Trump and her children were seen wearing masks and it sparked a debate online.

Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence had come with their families to watch the launch. Trump, who before the postponement marveled at the “magnificent” rocket on the pad, later tweeted that he will return to Florida for the next try, and the vice president did the same.

Photos and videos of POTUS and FLOTUS touring the space centre ahead of the scheduled launch with many mask-wearing scientists quickly went viral, and people criticised the president for failing to lead by example.

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However, the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her two children were seen wearing masks matching their outfits. What irked many online was that her husband Jared Kushner was seen alighting from the aircraft with his face covered but later took off his mask while inside the space centre.

White House senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump and their son Joseph wear protective face masks as they accompanied her father US President Donald Trump to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: Reuters)

The conversation also pointed out that Trump had mocked wearing masks as being “politically correct”, while denying that he was mocking Joe Biden for wearing a mask on Memorial Day.

NONE OF THEM ARE WEARING MASKS DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC BECAUSE CULTURE WAR. https://t.co/1cKQZZzVwB

— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 27, 2020

Four despicable clowns, displaying the opposite of their own White House guidelines.
They’re best at being the worst role models to trump supporters for neither wearing masks nor practicing social distancing.

— truth diviner😷 (@truthdiviner) May 27, 2020

Melania forgot to watch her own commercial telling everyone to wear a mask…

— Kathleen Hamilton (@Kathleenhamil15) May 27, 2020

That this “culture war” can infect every aspect of our lives, even basic health and safety, shows what a danger Trump is to the American people and, make no mistake, masks are ONLY an issue right now because of Trump’s vanity and fragile sense of masculinity. No other reason.

— 🌊 Wendy Vive la résistance 🌊 (@WendyFF5) May 27, 2020

Luckily, Jared doesn’t spread viruses like humans do. pic.twitter.com/f2zpA6xoad

— Schooley (@Rschooley) May 27, 2020

Him, his father-in-law and the administration are all ignorant. At least Ivanka is wearing a mask but she doesn’t have the 🏀🏐⚽️’s to stand up to her daddy and hubby. https://t.co/TYdFTsfnJb

— Carlos Montalvo (@Baseball_Carlos) May 28, 2020

Ken forgot his mask for the photo shoot. 100K dead and the Trumps and Kushners waste our money on a scrubbed space flight. #SpaceX

— Sandy J (@mrsjagger1) May 27, 2020

I know there is a SpaceX launch going on but what is Trump’s current mask status? Will Trump wipe out Elon Musk and the SpaceX team with impending COVID?

— Xenophon (@XenophonSparta) May 27, 2020

This is the exact thing I see at the grocery store with families. The women and children with masks but the dad/husband won’t wear one. Is it seriously a macho thing?? Stats say more men die from it, but what do I know. 🤷‍♂️

— 🧩Bloughin (@bloughin) May 27, 2020

so basically Jared is saying he doesn’t care about his family… seems on brand…

— Dad Jokes Panda (@TrashPandaFTW) May 27, 2020

How ironic that Ivanka & children are wearing masks, her husband isn’t, yet they live together.

Joe and Dr. Biden went out in public wearing masks, and they were criticized for it.

What will the right wing media say? Nada, because they are a very hypocritical and dishonest lot.

— 💫Patsy💥Dryden ☘️🌊🦋🙏🏻🌺 (@Patta47cake) May 27, 2020

Oh now she’s being all “politically correct” 🙄

— JC (@Jenncey) May 27, 2020

The optics 🧐
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You may think @jaredkushner looks strong not wearing a mask, yet protective having Ivanka and the kids don them🤠

Not how masks work😬

They limit spreading not getting🤓

What’s happening here is THEY are protecting him💪

He is endangering them all for his ego🥺 https://t.co/YWVufJlWsR

— The Albionist (@MagmaCarta) May 28, 2020

NASA pushed ahead with the preparations despite the viral outbreak but kept the guest list at Kennedy extremely limited and asked spectators to stay at home. Still, thousands jammed area bridges and beaches to watch, many of them not wearing masks or observing the 6-foot social distancing rules.

The space agency also estimated 1.7 million people were watching the launch preparations online.

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With American shuttles no longer in use, the United States has had to rely on Russia for rides to the International Space Station. SpaceX would be the first private company to put astronauts in orbit, something achieved by just three countries — Russia, the U.S. and China.

[With inputs from AP]