Few Masks Seen at White House Event Honoring Gold Star Families

According to reports, the White House has reached out to veterans groups to warn them that attendees at a September 27 White House event honoring Gold Star families may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Gold Star families are those who have had a family member die while serving in the US armed forces. The day before hosting the families, the White House held a widely attended event — with portions both indoors and outside — to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

The Barrett gathering on September 26 is considered a likely source of a cluster of at least 20 coronavirus cases, including President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

At both the Barrett announcement and the Gold Star event the following night, few masks were seen on attendees, who were not socially distanced. The Gold Star event took place inside the White House.

This video of the Gold Star event was posted to the official White House Instagram. Both the first lady and the president were in attendance that evening. Additional photographs posted by the White House show few, if any, guests wearing masks.

In one photograph taken by an attendee and shared on social media, a number of maskless guests can be seen gathered next to Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, who were also maskless. Credit: Melania Trump/ White House via Storyful