AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press
Forgive the American people if they're in a fog about face masks. President Donald Trump and the federal government have done a number on them.
First there was the don't-do-it phase. Then the nice-but-not-for-me dissonance. Followed by the local-rules-don't-apply exceptions. Topped off by Trump's stated suspicion that some people wear masks just to troll him.
It has all added up to a murky message about one of the critical tools in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. And the politicization of the to-wear-or-not-to-wear debate is clear in recent public polling.
To be clear: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to main
