It’s just so simple. Wearing a face mask has been proven to prevent the spread and transmission of the coronavirus. Yet President Donald Trump, 74, has made it a political issue by stubbornly refusing to wear one. Now former President George W. Bush‘s Vice President Dick Cheney has come forward to show that he’s all in favor of wearing masks, and that “real men” wear them. His daughter, Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, 53, shared the photo of her 79-year-old dad wearing a blue face mask to her Twitter account on June 26. Her caption read, “Dick Cheney says WEAR A MASK,” and included the hashtag”#realmenwearmasks,” which a number of people on Twitter thought was total shade towards Trump’s mask refusals.
Dick Cheney says WEAR A MASK. #realmenwearmasks pic.twitter.com/iBfVoa7ypL
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) June 26, 2020
Real men wear masks!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/uGH7Z7gAIj
— ABT123 (@ABT12313) June 26, 2020
The former Wyoming congressman and former President George H.W. Bush‘s Secretary of Defense looked cowboy tough in the photo, wearing a tan Stetson hat to go along with his facial covering. Dick’s name quickly became a top trending Twitter topic, with many applauding the Republican icon for telling people that they should wear masks, and getting in an apparent diss at Trump with the hashtag.
I can't believe I'm going to say this … CHENEY YOU ROCK!
REAL MEN WEAR FACE MASKS! https://t.co/MxxBob9DWy
— Jucy (@JucyHula) June 26, 2020
NO-U didn’t go because law there is to wear a mask & U refused but REAL MEN WEAR MASKS Don🙄UR more concerned w statues than 125,000 DEAD Americans & a Pandemic that’s OUT OF CONTROL🤔 States R closing down again! @senatemajldr @SenateGOP @SenatorRomney @BenSasse @SenJohnThune https://t.co/cJg6sGIGZH
— Honestee (@Honeste82021993) June 26, 2020
Soon #realmenwearmasks began taking off on Twitter, with even people who considered themselves longtime critics of Cheney saying they were proud of him. User @JucyHula tweeted, “I can’t believe I’m going to say this…CHENEY YOU ROCK!” @mmpadellan wrote, “I did not have ‘Dick Cheney is a responsible, sensible adult’ on my batsh*ttery BINGO card. #WearAMask.”
Actor Ken Olin retweeted Cheney’s photo wearing a mask and wrote, “If Dick Cheney isn’t with you, there’s nowhere left to go. You’re at the end of the evil highway @realDonaldTrump. You’re so f**ked up even evil wants no part of you.” Meanwhile, user @ABT12313 tweeted to Trump, “Real men wear masks but then we all know you are no man!!!! You are weak!!!!!!.”
Rantt Media Editor in Chief @AhmedBaba pointed out, “Today, Dick Cheney and Mitch McConnell backed wearing masks. Even two of the most sinister conservatives in modern history support wearing masks. This is NOT a partisan issue folks. Trump just doesn’t want to smudge his face makeup. Don’t listen to him. Wear a mask you maniacs.”
Others called out Trump’s reasons for cancelling a planned weekend golfing trip to his club New Jersey. The president tweeted on June 26, “I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW & ORDER is enforced. The arsonists, anarchists, looters, and agitators have been largely stopped….” User @Honeste82021993, clapped back, “NO U didn’t go because law there is to wear a mask & U refused but REAL MEN WEAR MASKS. UR more concerned w statues than 125,000 DEAD Americans & a Pandemic that’s OUT OF CONTROL. States R closing down again!” While Trump has been active on Twitter all day, he has yet to respond to the #realmenwearmasks call-out.