'Take that off!' Trump supporters slam Ivanka as 'silly' and 'stupid' for wearing a face mask for a photo op with GOP congressmen - as she urges others to wear masks, too

  • Ivanka, 38, shared the photo with Republican Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas on July 1
  • She re-used Rep. McCarthy's caption: 'Wear a mask. Plant a tree'
  • Her father's supporters have slammed her for promoting masks, saying they have 'sinister intentions' and she looks 'ridiculous'
  • On Wednesday, the President seemed to abandon his anti-mask stance, saying: 'I’m all for masks. I think masks are good'
  • He has refused to wear one in public, but now says he thinks he looks like the Lone Ranger when he wears one 
  • COVID-19 cases across the US increased by 40,000, or 46%, in the week ending June 28 

In a rare move this week, Ivanka Trump showed public disagreement with her father by wearing a mask for a photo-op — and urging others to wear one, too.

On July 1, the 38-year-old posted a photo on Instagram showing herself wearing a light blue face mask as she posed outside with Republican Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas.

But while Ivanka's caption encouraged others to follow suit and wear their own masks in public, her father's supporters are not convinced — and are chastising the first daughter, telling her to remove the mask. 

Say cheese! Ivanka Trump posted a photo of herself in a face mask with Republican Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas

Say cheese! Ivanka Trump posted a photo of herself in a face mask with Republican Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas

Follow her lead: The caption — which Ivanka copied from Rep. McCarthy — reads 'Wear a mask. Plant a tree,' and includes both a tree and a face mask emoji

Follow her lead: The caption — which Ivanka copied from Rep. McCarthy — reads 'Wear a mask. Plant a tree,' and includes both a tree and a face mask emoji

Full look: She had been photographed earlier that day leaving her home in the blue mask

Full look: She had been photographed earlier that day leaving her home in the blue mask

The photo shows Ivanka and the two representatives outside. Rep. Westerman wears a suit and surgical mask, Rep. McCarthy has a gray cloth mask, and Ivanka is modeling a pretty blue watercolor mask.

The caption — which Ivanka copied from Rep. McCarthy — reads 'Wear a mask. Plant a tree,' and includes both a tree and a face mask emoji.

Ivanka has been pictured wearing face masks before during the pandemic. She donned a black one while accompanying her father to a photo op outside St. John's Church, after he'd had protesters cleared away with smoke canisters and pepper balls.

On other occasions, she has been pictured in several different floral masks, and even posed for a selfie with her daughter Arabella in a mask as well.

This, however, appears to be the first time that she has encouraged others to wear masks too — and Trump voters aren't pleased.

Take it off: Trump voters aren't pleased and are telling Ivanka to stop wearing masks — calling it a 'mind control device'

Take it off: Trump voters aren't pleased and are telling Ivanka to stop wearing masks — calling it a 'mind control device'

'Please do not wear a mask that’s not what we were created to do,' wrote one, while another told her to 'take the mask off.'

'I love POTUS but this mask bs needs to stop,' said another, while others called her 'silly' and 'stupid' and posted sheep emojis.

More comments have poured in, with countless Trump supporters telling her to lose the mask.

'Why are you reppin the mask? Take that off.......' wrote one commenter

'Mask are bs if you where a mask why social distance all bs political bs,' wrote another.

'The administration needs to concentrate more on health, vitamins, and exercise to help fight Covid-19,' said yet another. 

'You do not need to wear a mask to plant a tree. Fresh air is much healthier for you than breathing in what is in that mask. Plant a tree while breathing fresh air enjoy mother nature. I am a supporter of you and your family but the mask issue has got to end,' added one more.

'Take them off you look ridiculous,' chastised one

'Take them off you look ridiculous,' chastised one 

'Why mask now? Surprising. Yall listening to the left fearmongering,' said yet another commenter, while another commented: 'I see why Donald Trump Jr is the favorite. No mask for me. Disappointing.'

'Take them off you look ridiculous,' chastised one.

'Wtf Ivanka? Why do you support something you KNOW has sinister intentions? Take off the mask. Youre not a disease carrying death bringer, and this is not a real pandemic. I know you know that. Very disappointing to watch you play along,' another commenter chimed in.

'I think you are a great role model... but please take off the mask.... quit furthering the lefts’ agenda!' complained yet another.

'Take that lie off your face!' one more wrote. 

A habit: Ivanka has previously been pictured in masks, and was seen wearing one in a Twitter post on June 16

A habit: Ivanka has previously been pictured in masks, and was seen wearing one in a Twitter post on June 16

For the ride: She also wears them in the back of the SUV when she is driven to work

For the ride: She also wears them in the back of the SUV when she is driven to work

She donned a black one while accompanying her father to a photo op outside St. John's Church, after he'd had protesters cleared away with smoke canisters and pepper balls

She donned a black one while accompanying her father to a photo op outside St. John's Church, after he'd had protesters cleared away with smoke canisters and pepper balls

Different styles: She wore a light floral one at Andrews Air Force Base on May 27

Different styles: She wore a light floral one at Andrews Air Force Base on May 27

She has been pictured wearing them while leaving her home on several occasions (pictured May 19)
Pictured May 15

She has been pictured wearing them while leaving her home on several occasions (pictured left May 19 and right May 15)

Family time: She had previously urged others to wear masks while posting this picture with her daughter Arabella

Family time: She had previously urged others to wear masks while posting this picture with her daughter Arabella

The backlash comes from supporters of President Trump, who has famously refused to wear a mask during the pandemic.

However, even he is changing his tune this week.

In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, the President said he supports mask-wearing, and insisted that 'people have seen me wearing one.'

'I’m all for masks. I think masks are good,' he said. 'If I were in a tight situation with people, I would absolutely.

'I had a mask on. I sort of liked the way I looked. OK. I thought it was OK. It was a dark black mask, and I thought it looked OK.

'It looked like the Lone Ranger. I have no problem with that, and if people feel good about it, they should do it.' 

In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, the President said he supports mask-wearing, and insisted that 'people have seen me wearing one'

In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, the President said he supports mask-wearing, and insisted that 'people have seen me wearing one' 

'I’m all for masks. I think masks are good,' he said, adding that he looked like the Lone Ranger while wearing one
The Lone Ranger

'I’m all for masks. I think masks are good,' he said, adding that he looked like the Lone Ranger while wearing one 

Trump has taken flack for politicizing mask-wearing, even going as far to say that those who wear masks to prevent giving or getting COVID-19 are doing so to 'signal disapproval of him.' 

But with coronavirus cases trending upward, especially in red states, even Republican senators have pushed Trump to put on a mask in an effort to lead.

Fox Business' Blake Burman had pointed to a report that said national mask-wearing could save five per cent of the country's GDP.

Trump split the difference when asked about masks - suggesting there was no need for a federal mandate, while also saying he'd put one on.

'Well, I don't know if you need mandatory because you have many places in the country where people stay very long-distanced, you talk about social distancing,' he said. 

'If I'm in a group of people where we're not 10 feet away,' Trump said, articulating the circumstances of when he might wear a mask. 'But usually I'm not in that position and everyone's tested because I'm the president, they get tested before they see me.' 

Trump visited a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan in May, but didn't allow the pool of reporters who travel with him to see him donning a mask.

'I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,' President Trump said during his tour of a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan in May, showing reporters his mask, but refusing to wear it

'I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,' President Trump said during his tour of a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan in May, showing reporters his mask, but refusing to wear it 

'I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,' Trump said, showing off the mask he had worn, but leaving it off his face. 

Trump's words in support of face masks came with news that new coronavirus infections across the United States almost doubled last week, with 31 states reporting an uptick in cases — as Arizona became the latest hot spot to reverse its reopening by closing bars and gyms.

COVID-19 cases across the US increased by 46 per cent in the week ending June 28, compared to the previous seven days, with the majority of rises in the West and South of the country.

Nationally, new cases have consistently spiked every week for four straight weeks. Daily cases have been increasing to record highs of 40,000 in the past week — well above the initial surge of infections that were seen back in mid-April.

Infections across the US have now surpassed 2.58 million and more than 126,000 Americans have died since the virus took hold in March.

Infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned that the US was 'going in the wrong direction' with the pandemic and said cases could soar to 100,000 per day if current behaviors remain in place. 

DO FACE MASKS MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR IF YOU CAN'T GET ONE?

Americans are increasingly being spotted wearing face masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic, as are people are around the globe.

Soon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may advise all Americans to cover their faces when they leave the house, the Washington Post reported.  

The agency is weighing that recommendation after initially telling Americans that they didn't need to wear masks and that anything other than a high-grade N95 medical mask would do little to prevent infection any way. 

FACE MASKS DO HELP PREVENT INFECTION - BUT THEY'RE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL 

Research on how well various types of masks and face coverings varies but, recently, and in light of the pandemic of COVID-19, experts are increasingly leaning toward the notion that something is better than nothing. 

A University of Oxford study published on March 30 concluded that surgical masks are just as effective at preventing respiratory infections as N95 masks for doctors, nurses and other health care workers. 

It's too early for their to be reliable data on how well they prevent infection with COVID-19, but the study found the thinner, cheaper masks do work in flu outbreaks. 

The difference between surgical or face masks and N95 masks lies in the size of particles that can - and more importantly, can't - get though the materials. 

N95 respirators are made of thick, tightly woven and molded material that fits tightly over the face and can stop 95 percent of all airborne particles, while surgical masks are thinner, fit more loosely, and more porous. 

This makes surgical masks much more comfortable to breathe and work in, but less effective at stopping small particles from entering your mouth and nose. 

Droplets of saliva and mucous from coughs and sneezes are very small, and viral particles themselves are particularly tiny - in fact, they're about 20-times smaller than bacteria. 

For this reason, a JAMA study published this month still contended that people without symptoms should not wear surgical masks, because there is not proof the gear will protect them from infection - although they may keep people who are coughing and sneezing from infecting others. 

But the Oxford analysis of past studies - which has not yet been peer reviewed - found that surgical masks were worth wearing and didn't provide statistically less protection than N95 for health care workers around flu patients. 

However, any face mask is only as good as other health and hygiene practices. Experts universally agree that there's simply no replacement for thorough, frequent hand-washing for preventing disease transmission. 

Some think the masks may also help to 'train' people not to touch their faces, while others argue that the unfamiliar garment will just make people do it more, actually raising infection risks.  

If the CDC does instruct Americans to wear masks, it could create a second issue: Hospitals already face shortages of masks and other PPE.

WHAT TO USE TO COVER YOUR FACE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MASK 

So the agency may recommend regular citizens use alternatives like cloth masks or bandanas. 

'Homemade masks theoretically could offer some protection if the materials and fit were optimized, but this is uncertain,' Dr Jeffrey Duchin, a Seattle health official told the Washington Post. 

A 2013 study found that next to a surgical mask, a vacuum cleaner bag provided the best material for a homemade mask. 

After a vacuum bag, kitchen towels were fairly protective, but uncomfortable. Masks made of T-shirts were very tolerable, but only worked a third as well as surgical mask. The Cambridge University researchers concluded that homemade masks should only be used 'as a last resort.' 

But as the pandemic has spread to more than 164,000 people worldwide, it might be time to consider last resort options.  

 

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