Washington (CNN) In "Under Control," a new campaign ad set to air on digital and TV nationally, former Vice President Joe Biden lays out the toplines of his plan to tackle Covid-19. Biden says, "It's a simple measure, everyone needs to wear a mask in public," while the words "Nationwide mask mandates" appear on the screen, implying that if elected, Biden would aim to mandate mask wearing across the nation. That raises a perennial question of this campaign season -- Can the President mandate that people around the country wear masks? Facts First: There appears to be no legal authority that would allow a US president to enact a nationwide mask mandate. Despite the impression left by the graphic in the ad that says 'nationwide mask mandates,' Biden's past comments on the subject suggest he'd take a narrower approach than attempting a nationwide mask mandate.

Source: CNN November 01, 2020 14:59 UTC