President Donald Trump on Thursday did not wear a mask for coronavirus protection during the public part of touring a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan, despite a state law and company policy requiring facial coverings there.

Trump, who has consistently refused to wear a mask in public, was visiting Ford's Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti, which has a policy of requiring masks there. The plant is currently making ventilators in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States.

Video showed Trump on the factory floor talking to Ford executives who were wearing masks.

"Not necessary," Trump said, when a reporter asked why he was not wearing a facial covering.

"Everybody's been tested and I've been tested."

Trump also claimed "I had one [a mask] on before," in an area that was not visible to reporters, but added, "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it."

"I was given a choice, and I had one on in an area where they preferred it," Trump said, referring to Ford executives.

When Ford's executive chairman, William Ford Jr., was asked "can you confirm the president was told it is OK not to wear a mask in this area," Ford shrugged and said, "It's up to him!"

Both William Ford and CEO Bill Hackett each were wearing masks when they accompanied Trump for the visit to the factory floor.

The Ford company later issued a statement saying: "Bill Ford encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived. He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years. The President later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit."