It’s about responding to somewhat opposing public safety concerns. As someone else pointed out in this thread, when protestors are allowed to wear masks they are more likely to commit illegal acts, even violent ones. SARS-CoV-2 is no longer a novel virus. There is now significant immunity in the population and our COVID treatments are much improved, meaning the virus no longer constitutes a public health emergency.
Obama and John McCain, or Obama and Mitt Romney, I think were all considered pretty respectable by most Americans, especially compared to our current options.