Trump refuses to wear face mask in factory despite state warning it will ban his future visits

Surrounded by Ford executives wearing masks, Mr Trump told reporters: “I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”

Donald Trump has refused to wear a face mask once again during a tour in Michigan – despite an official warning he could be banned from visiting the state if he did so.

The president was visiting a factory belonging to the Ford Motor Company, which has shifted its focus to manufacturing ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Surrounded by executives wearing masks, he told reporters: “I had one on before. I wore one in the back area. I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”

At one point, he took out a White House-branded mask from his pocket, and said he had worn it elsewhere on the tour while out of public view.

The 73-year-old has consistently disregarded guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, urging Americans to wear masks in close company to try and curb the spread of coronavirus.

Although the company “encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived” at the plant in Ypsilanti, executive chairman Bill Ford said: “It’s up to him.”