evidence: Donut chart. Americans' reports of how often they wear a face mask when out in public. Forty-four percent of Americans say they always wear a mask when outside their homes, 28% say they do so very often, 11% sometimes do, 4% rarely and 14% never. [...] The one exception is Republicans, among whom a majority say they wear masks infrequently -- either sometimes (18%), rarely (9%) or never (27%). Although President Donald Trump has been reluctant to wear one in public, other Republican leaders have come out in support of using them. [...] The issue has been politically charged from the start when Trump announced that he would not wear a mask at the same press briefing when the recommendation was made. Yet, as infection rates are rising sharply and Trump has now worn a mask in public, more Americans may follow suit.