Why Melania Trump's Latest Appearance Has People Furious

Traditionally, the First Lady of the United States reads a book to patients at Children's National Hospital in Washington D.C. at Christmas-time every year. Melania Trump just carried out the long-standing tradition, which dates back 70 years. This is the last time Melania will attend the event, as next year it will presumably be carried out by soon-to-be First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, wife of President-elect Joe Biden. According to People magazine, Melania said of the event, "It is wonderful to be here. This is one of my favorite events during the holiday time." She also tweeted about the visit, saying, "Today, I was grateful to return to [Children's National Hospital] to read an inspiring Christmas story & play a game safely with the children. During all of my visits, I have felt the children's warmth, seen the joy in their eyes & the bright smiles on their faces. [Merry Christmas]." As noted by Newsweek, most of the patients tuned in via livestream to hear Melania read Oliver the Ornament Meets Marley & Joan and Abbey. However, two young patients at the hospital showed up in person and sat on a carpet in front of the first lady as she read the story in front of a Christmas tree. Many people were upset by the gesture because Melania removed her face mask to read the book. While social media users criticized her for not wearing a mask, the White House insisted the first lady did nothing wrong and issued a statement explaining why she didn't wear it. The statement read, in part, "Based on the District of Columbia health guidance, [...] wearing a mask is not required when a person is giving a speech for broadcast or an audience, provided no one is within six feet of the speaker. Throughout the holiday program, the First Lady was more than twelve feet away from others in the four-story atrium. Today's visit, broadcast to 325 inpatient hospital rooms, followed these guidelines." A spokesperson for Children's National Hospital, also defended Melania's decision not to wear a mask, telling CNN, "Our number one priority at Children's National Hospital is the safety of our patients, families, and employees. [...] While the First Lady did remove her mask while she read a story, she was more than 12 feet away from others in our large atrium. All other people in that space were wearing masks. The remainder of her visit, she wore a mask." However, CNN pointed out that the hospital's official policy is much stricter than the health regulations in place in Washington D.C. Per the guidelines listed on the hospital's website, the hospital is taking many additional precautions to prevent the spread of COVID. In addition to limiting the number of visitors who enter the hospital and screening them for potential COVID-19 symptoms, the hospital's guidelines state that, quote, "all staff, families/caregivers and visitors must wear a mask at all times while in any Children's National facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19." While Melania and Donald Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2020, that's not a guarantee that the first lady is unable to spread the virus. Antibodies do linger in the system after a person recovers from COVID-19, but health experts aren't sure how long they offer protection so it's possible that she could contract the virus again. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told ABC News, "Even though the president himself was infected and he has likely antibodies that likely would be protective, we're not sure how long that protection lasts." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone except children under the age of 2 wear masks when they are in public or with people outside of their household. On their website, they say, "You should wear a mask, even if you do not feel sick. This is because several studies have found that people with COVID-19 who never develop symptoms and those who are not yet showing symptoms can still spread the virus to other people. The main function of wearing a mask is to protect those around you, in case you are infected but not showing symptoms." #MelaniaTrump