Dr. Anthony Fauci says he wears a mask as a 'SYMBOL as to what people should do' as Donald Trump refuses to wear one and mocks Joe Biden for going out with his face covered

• Dr. Anthony Fauci claimed he wears a mask to set an example for what others should do in public to stop the spread of coronavirus
• 'I want to make it be a symbol for people to see that that's the kind of thing you should be doing,' he told CNN in an interview Wednesday morning
• The federal government's top immunologist also admitted that he believes wearing a mask when social distancing cannot be maintained is 'effective'
• Despite these claims, Donald Trump still does not don a face covering in public
• First lady Melania Trump was seen wearing one while on Marine One on Monday, but she did not wear the mask during the subsequent Memorial Day events
• The president also made fund of Joe Biden for wearing a mask on Monday while laying a wreath at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park 
• 'This might help explain why Trump doesn't like to wear a mask in public. Biden today,' he retweeted accompanied by an image of Biden wearing the black mask
• Trump has asserted that he has worn a mask 'behind the scenes' 

 Anthony Fauci explained Wednesday morning that he wears a mask in public because he wants 'to make it be a symbol for people to see that that's the kind of thing you should be doing.' He also admitted that he believes wearing a mask is 'effective' 

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The comments come as Trump has still not been photographed wearing a mask in public– and the president has made it clear he believes it wouldn't look right if he wore a face covering

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Donald Trump also retweeted a post mocking Joe Biden for wearing a face mask during the presumed Democratic nominee's first outing since the campaign trail went viral

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Presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife both wore black facial covering at Memorial Day commemorations in Delaware Monday

First lady Melania Trump was pictured Monday wearing a face covering while boarded on Marine One, but once emerging from the helicopter, she was no longer wearing the mask.

The first lady has advocated that people wear masks in public when they are not able to maintain social distancing recommendations – but she has yet to be seen sporting one publicly.

Marine One has crammed searing, which would make social distancing by six feet impossible.

She could be glimpsed wearing a white mask - which coordinated with her white coat - through the window of the presidential helicopter as it took off from the South Lawn of the White House in route to Baltimore on Monday.

'I wear it for the reason that I believe it is effective,' Fauci asserted. 'It's not 100% effective, I mean, it's sort of respect for another person and have that other person respect you.'

'You wear a mask, they wear a mask. You protect each other,' the doctor said.

Fauci has become more and more obsolete in the task force as he rarely speaks to the media during briefings anymore – largely staying in the background – and has severely dropped off in the scale of his television interview appearances.

Trump has faced criticism for supposedly going against the recommendations of his own health experts – including not wearing a mask in public.

During a tour of a mask-making facility in Arizona earlier this month, Trump did not don the face wear, but claimed before the tour he was wearing a mask but the cameras missed it.

While the Trumps did not wear masks during their Memorial Day trip to Fort McHenry and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill wore the facial coverings when they laid a wreath at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park on Monday.

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First lady Melania Trump was pictured Monday through the window of Marine One wearing a mask in the confined space of the helicopter, but she did not wear a mask during the Memorial Day events

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Attendees, including first lady Melania Trump and the president, stood six feet apart for social distancing during Monday's ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown SoldierTrump and all other attendees at the ceremonies on Monday, however, did maintain six-feet distances from one another.

The president also retweeted his rival in the November election for wearing a mask. 

'This might help explain why Trump doesn't like to wear a mask in public. Biden today,' the Tweet from Fox News political analyst Brit Hume read.

The tweet included a close-up image of the 77-year-old former vice president sporting a dark face mask and sunglasses at a Memorial Day event.

Other administration officials have been seen wearing masks when they cannot maintain social distancing.

Trump's son-in-law and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany were seen taking off their own face masks when exited Marine One earlier in May while accompanying the president during a visit to a factory in Allenstown, Pennsylvania.