BETHESDA, Md. — President Donald Trump wore a mask for the first time in public Saturday, donning a face-covering during a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center.

The president met wounded service members and health care providers caring for coronavirus patients, The Associated Press reported.

As he left the White House, Trump told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially ... I think it’s expected to wear a mask.”

The president had been steadfast in his refusal to wear a mask in public, which was against the recommendations of public health experts in his administration, CNN reported.

Trump was wearing a mask in the hallway of the medical center when he began his visit, the Post reported. He was not wearing one when he arrived at the facility in Bethesda, Maryland.

The only time Trump has been known to wear a mask was during part of a tour of a Ford plant in Michigan, which was conducted in private, the AP reported.

Cox Media Group