With the election and Halloween coming up this year, US presidential candidates are getting ready for the masquerade by putting their masks on. This “masquerade” is, of course, metaphorical. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are not revealing who they really are, nor the total truth about everything.

One common reason people wear masks is to pose as somebody who meets the standards of society. People are often afraid of what the world will think of them when the mask is not on; people are afraid that the world is going to find them out. In this case, our presidential candidates this year wear masks to get votes. However, these masks seem to be covering a lot more than just a face.

For instance, on October 9, during the second presidential debate, Donald Trump was asked if he was “modeling positive and appropriate behavior for today’s youth.” The debate moderator mentioned a tape from 2005 that was released this month. In the tape, Trump bragged about kissing women without consent, grabbing their genitals.

“No, I didn’t say that at all. I don’t think you understood what that was,” said Trump. “This was locker room talk.”

Trump wears a mask by denying his past to the public, in order to gain the nation’s trust.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton also wears a mask for the same reason any presidential candidate wears one.

Recently this year, the FBI concluded an investigation which focused on Clinton handling classified emails through her personal email. This was seen as an extremely careless act coming from a presidential candidate.

“I have said I made a mistake using my personal email, I regret that. It’s time to move on,” said Clinton. “I am certainly relieved and glad that the investigation has concluded, but I also know how important it is to make sure everybody understands that I would certainly not do that again.”

Like Donald Trump, Clinton wears a mask to earn America’s votes. She responds by being apologetic and resentful towards her past actions. Both candidates are not completely revealing their identities, and it is understandable considering the delicate position they are in. 

One contradictory, but common idea is that “taking off the mask” would be threatening to their political status and others.