Kilmeade says Trump sending critics a message with reversal on masks: 'You're not gonna knock me out easy'

"Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade said on "The Five" Wednesday that President Trump's public embrace of wearing masks shows he's no longer willing to give his critics "an easy layup" on the issue.

"The president showed today ... he wants to win," Kilmeade said. "Because, look, he's not comfortable wearing a mask. I don't know too many people ... that [are] comfortable wearing a mask in everyday life, but the president says, 'I'm doubling down. I'm in. You're not gonna knock me out easy. You're not gonna make this an easy layup anymore. You're not going to make things hard for my briefers. You're not gonna make things difficult for my vice president. I'm wearing it.' And you'll see him with it."

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE PRESS 'THE PLEASURE OF SEEING' HIM WEAR MASK

Trump has previously came under fire for refusing to wear a mask in public, insisting that it was unnecessary because those in his inner circle are tested regularly for the coronavirus. But in an interview with Fox Business Network on Wednesday, the president seemed to warm to the idea, declaring that he was "all for masks" when in close proximity to others.

“I’m all for masks,” Trump told Fox Business Network's Blake Burman. “If I were in a tight situation with people I would [wear one], absolutely."

Trump also claimed that he "actually had a mask on and liked the way I looked.

"I thought it was OK," the president said. "It was a dark black mask. I thought it looked OK. It looked like The Lone Ranger. I have no problem about that, and if people feel good about that, they should do it."

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"I like that that's where he ended up and also when he has a little bit of levity, a little bit of a light moment," co-host Dana Perino chimed in.

"That kind of thing really penetrates and it shows some of that 'not a politician' type of thing," she added. "Americans like their president to have a sense of humor and he was able to do that."