Trump's Changed Stance On Masks 'Comes Too Late,' Says Art Caplan

President Donald Trump holds a mask as he speaks during a news conference at the White House, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Washington.

Hannah Uebele is a producer for Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and previously worked as associate producer for Boston Public Radio. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in English and Environmental Studies. She's a proud Delawarean but has found herself saying "wicked" more and more often, so the Bostonian metamorphosis is well underway.Contact: hannah_uebele@wgbh.org

July 22, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

President Donald Trump changed his anti-mask stance on Tuesday during a press conference, saying that masks "have an impact." Trump also wrote in a tweet on Monday that it is 'patriotic' to wear a mask and posted a photo of himself wearing one. This comes after months of the president refusing to wear a mask in public. Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about Trump's revised stance on masks.

"[Trump's] anti-mask policy for the country was a failure, and I'm happy he's recognizing that," Caplan said. "[His change of opinion] comes too late, it probably cost tens of thousands of lives before he got around to admitting that his policy was wrong.

Trump has the power to influence his supporters' willingness to wear masks, Caplan noted.

"He has to role model for us," he said. "Many of the people who are in his camp will watch what he does."

Art Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty chair and director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.