バイデン氏、マスク着用やゆした米大統領は「全くの愚か者」

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米大統領選の民主党候補指名を確実にしたジョー・バイデン前副大統領（77）は26日、ドナルド・トランプ大統領（73）がバイデン氏のマスク着用をやゆしたことに対し、「全くの愚か者」と呼んで反撃した。新型コロナウイルスの流行下でマスク着用は政治的な火種となっている。（写真はデラウェア州の退役軍人記念公園を訪れたバイデン氏）
　バイデン氏は３月以降初となるＣＮＮとの対面インタビューで、最近さらに増しているトランプ氏の一貫性のなさを指摘した。
　インタビューは、２５日の戦没将兵追悼記念日（メモリアルデー）の式典後にバイデン氏宅の庭でソーシャル・ディスタンシング（対人距離の確保）を守りながら行われた。式典ではバイデン氏はマスクを着用していたが、トランプ氏は着用していなかった。両氏ともその年齢を考慮すると、新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ-１９）のリスクは高い。
　トランプ氏はツイッターで、バイデン氏の写真に同氏のマスク着用をからかう文章を添えた投稿をリツイートした。これについてバイデン氏は、「彼は愚か者だ。そんなことをするなんて全くの愚か者だ」と述べ、「世界の優れた医師らはみな、人混みの中ではマスクを着用すべきだと言っている」とコメントした。
　また、マスクの着用が弱さや強さを映し出すかとの質問に対し、「マスク着用はリーダーシップの表れだ」と回答。「大統領は人々を率いる役目を果たすべきで、愚行に走ったり誤った力強さを見せたりするべきではない」と述べた。
　バイデン氏はさらに、こうした力強さによって「人々の命が犠牲になっている」と付け加えた。
　同氏は２６日、自身のツイッターアカウントのプロフィル画像を黒いマスク姿の顔写真に差し替えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/05/28-13:17）

Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump as an absolute fool Tuesday for belittling his election rival over recently wearing a mask, an issue that has become a partisan flashpoint during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Democratic Party's presumptive 2020 presidential nominee had a series of choice words for the Republican incumbent, telling CNN in his first in-person interview since March that Trump has become increasingly erratic.
The interview, conducted in Biden's garden and with social distancing measures in place, followed Memorial Day ceremonies Monday in which Biden wore a mask and Trump was bare-faced.
Trump retweeted a photograph of Biden and an accompanying message that mocked the former vice president for wearing a mask.
He's a fool, an absolute fool, to talk that way, Biden said. Every leading doc in the world is saying you should wear a mask when you're in a crowd.
Asked whether wearing a mask projected weakness or strength, Biden chose a different description.
It presents and projects as leadership, Biden said. Presidents are supposed to lead, not engage in folly and be falsely masculine.
Trump, who is 73, and Biden, 77, are both at high risk from COVID-19 because of their age.
Trump has refused to appear in public wearing a mask, and many of the Americans who are bare-faced at demonstrations calling for states to immediately reopen are supporters of the president.
This macho stuff, Biden added, has cost people's lives.
An hour before the interview aired, Trump questioned why Biden would wear a mask outdoors, in perfect conditions, perfect weather, while he does not wear a mask in his home with his wife.
So I thought it was very unusual that he had one on, Trump said at the White House.
Trump has repeatedly mocked Biden as too old or gaffe-prone to wrest the White House from him in November's election.
Biden said he did not want to engage in name-calling with a president who is all-too-willing to do so, but he did not hesitate to point out Trump's apparent anxiety over slippage in the polls.
He seems to get more erratic, the more he feels like he's behind the curve, Biden said.
On Tuesday Biden changed the profile image on his Twitter feed to a photograph of him wearing a black mask.