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The city of Washington, D.C., is investigating President Trump’s maskless appearance in the lobby of Trump International Hotel Monday, a direct violation of D.C. coronavirus mandates.
In a video that appeared on social media Tuesday, the president can be seen shaking hands and standing in close proximity to other GOP members, many of whom were not wearing face coverings.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser set mask mandates and social distancing regulations in May, requiring that people wear masks in public places, including hotel lobbies, and practice social distancing measures such as standing at least 6 feet apart from one another in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The U.S. Capitol has seen low coronavirus rates compared to other parts of the country, with 11,000 confirmed cases and 580 deaths since the pandemic started, according to Johns Hopkins data.
President Trump did not wear a mask when meeting with North Carolina congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn, who was also without a mask in the downtown D.C. lobby.
A report by ABC News Tuesday also revealed several occasions where the staff and guests of the hotel flouted the D.C. mask mandates.
The report found that a frequent visitor to the hotel, Greg Aselbekian, planned a "No Masks Allowed" birthday party this month, claiming to be “tired of being unconstitutionally locked in like animals,” on a Facebook event page, though the event's page appeared to have been canceled.
Avid Trump supporters such as My Pillow CEO Michael Lindell have also posted pictures of themselves without masks in the Trump International Hotel lobby.
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The city’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) sent an inspector to the hotel Wednesday. The ABRA has the ability to fine any establishment that serves alcohol and does not comply with the city’s coronavirus mandates.
“This afternoon, an ABRA investigator visited the Trump International Hotel and found no Phase Two violations,” the agency told Fox News in a statement. “During the inspection, guests and staff were observed to be wearing face masks and coverings in compliance with the Mayor’s Order.”
“Reports are only generated when violations are observed in person by an inspector. ABRA will continue to monitor the establishment for compliance.”
Masks have become a politicized subject amid the coronavirus pandemic, as Trump early on sent mixed messages on the importance of wearing masks. Though over the last few weeks, GOP members of Congress have been speaking out and urging American’s to wear masks as coronavirus cases have spiked.
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President Trump, who refused to wear a mask publicly for the first several months of the pandemic, posted a picture to social media of him wearing a mask, and again encouraged people to wear one on Tuesday while speaking at the daily coronavirus press briefing.
The D.C. mayor’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
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