GOP Lieutenant Governor is BOOED at Trump's Ohio rally after he encourages the president's supporters to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Lt. Governor Jon Husted pulled out both 'Trump 2020' and 'MAGA' face masks during his appearance at Trump's Dayton rally
  • Husted was promptly booed, with one person yelling for him to 'get off the stage'
  • Some of President Trump's supporters have been reluctant to wear face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic, claiming they impinge on personal liberties
  • Trump later took to the stage where he claimed that COVID-19 'affects virtually no one' except the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions

Ohio's GOP Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted has been booed at a Trump rally after he tried to encourage the President's supporters to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Republican politician took to the stage in front of 1,200 Trump supporters in Dayton on Monday evening, where he urged the crowd to cover their noses and mouths when out in public. 

'I'm trying to make masks in America great again,' Husted enthusiastically told the unimpressed crowd after whipping out a red face mask with the words 'Trump 2020' emblazoned across it. 

The audience instantly made their disapproval known, with loud jeers breaking out. 

'Get off the stage,' one Trump supporter could be heard yelling in video shared on social media by The Recount. 

Ohio's GOP Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted has been booed at a Trump rally after he tried to encourage the President's supporters to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Ohio's GOP Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted has been booed at a Trump rally after he tried to encourage the President's supporters to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Husted then pulled out a second mask, with the acronym 'MAGA' printed on it, as he forged ahead with his ill-fated sales pitch. 

'Hang on, I get it! You don't like it. But when you go in a grocery store where you have to wear one ... just listen up! All right, I get it...' Husted conceded as the booing continued. 

He then stated: 'But if somebody tells you to take it off, you can at least say you're trying to save the country by wearing one of President Donald Trump's masks!' 

The booing came despite the fact many people in the audiences were actually wearing face masks. 

However, some of President Trump's supporters have been reluctant to don face coverings in public, despite doctors saying they are effective in reducing the spread of the COVID-19. 

Studies have shown that wearing a mask can cut the risk transmitting the virus, as it blocks droplets of water from being spread while breathing, coughing and talking.

One peer-reviewed study in the Lancet showed wearing a mask cut the risk of transmission from 17 percent to 3 percent.

On April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out an updated advisory on coronavirus transmission recommending that Americans wear masks.

Trump famously refused to wear a face mask during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, insisting he was frequently tested for the contagious virus and did not need to cover his nose and mouth. 

Some supporters see executive orders to wear face coverings - which have been issued across several states - as impinging on their personal freedoms. 

It comes as the United States reaches 200,000 COVID-19 deaths and 6.8million cases. 

Ohio's GOP Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted recently shared this snap to Twitter, which showed him sporting a face mask

Ohio's GOP Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted recently shared this snap to Twitter, which showed him sporting a face mask

Following Husted's appearance at the rally, Trump took to the stage and spoke to the crowd for more than a hour. 

During his address he mentioned the coronavirus crisis, claiming the virus 'affects virtually nobody' except for older Americans and those with preexisting conditions.  

'Now we know it affects elderly people. Elderly people with heart problems and other problems. If they have other problems, that’s what it really affects. That’s it,' said Trump.  

'In some states nobody young. They have a strong immune system - who knows. Take your hat off to the young because they have a hell of an immune system. It affects virtually no one,' he said, before adding 'open your schools.'  

Following Husted's appearance at the rally, Trump took to the stage and spoke to the crowd for more than a hour

Following Husted's appearance at the rally, Trump took to the stage and spoke to the crowd for more than a hour