During the pandemic, the president has expressed confidence that the virus would quickly go away and skepticism over the effectiveness of face coverings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By\u00a0Daniel Victor<\/a>,\u00a0Lew Serviss\u00a0and\u00a0Azi Paybarah<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oct. 2, 2020 Updated\u00a09:12 a.m. ET<\/p>\n\n\n\n President Trump<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 who insisted when the\u00a0coronavirus<\/a>\u00a0first emerged that it would not be a threat in the United States \u2014 spent months playing down the effectiveness of masks, initially refused to be photographed with one on and this week mocked former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for wearing one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He has softened his tone on masks and has been seen wearing one with a presidential seal, and in the summer he began encouraging Americans to wear them. But even his endorsements of masks \u2014 which health officials say are a key way to slow the spread of the virus \u2014 have come with caveats that have muddled the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One example: At the presidential debate on Tuesday, after saying that he wore masks \u201cwhen needed,\u201d Mr. Trump<\/a> claimed that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the leading U.S. official on infectious diseases, had initially said that \u201cmasks are not good \u2014 then he changed his mind.\u201d (Dr. Fauci rejected the claim<\/a>, saying on Thursday that he had long been \u201cbegging people to wear masks.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was the latest in Mr. Trump\u2019s pattern of playing down the seriousness of the coronavirus. Here are some of his most notable statements since the beginning of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nOn his own use of masks and their effectiveness.<\/h2>\n