On April 28, Mike Pence toured the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, an appearance that drew heavy criticism because he refused to wear a mask in a hospital filled with highly at-risk patients and essential workers. That photo op resulted in days of negative press. Even his wife, Karen, was dispatched to Fox News to peddle excuses for his reckless behavior.
Days later Pence visited a GM plant in Indiana. Photos and video from the event showed Pence wearing a mask as he walked around the facility. It seemed, for the moment, like he’d gotten the message.
Apparently that hope was misguided because that appearance was the one and only time Pence and his staff have been seen wearing a mask. Like Donald Trump and his White House staff, Pence and crew have steadfastly refused to wear the masks, no matter the cost to their staff and the essential workers in the White House and executive offices. Pence didn’t even bother to wear a mask while he delivered empty boxes he told the gathered news crews were filled with PPE to a nursing home in Virginia. The boxes were empty and he was caught on a hot mic saying as much.
Now their irresponsible behavior is catching up to them. Yesterday we learned a member of the U.S. Navy who serves as Donald Trump’s valet, specifically tasked with delivering his meals and Diet Cokes, tested positive for the virus after showing symptoms this week. Today an aide to Mike Pence has also tested positive. The vice president’s team and a gaggle of reporters were loaded up on a plane, headed to another empty photo op in Iowa, when they were delayed. CNBC reports Pence aides scrambled off the plane at the last minute, presumably after getting the results of the test. The flight went on!
Despite potential exposure, the mask-less bandit still went forward to Iowa. These Trump officials traveling as pods while meeting with untold numbers of people, all while refusing to practice basic CDC guidelines, is the absolute height of recklessness! Trump reportedly told staffers he will not wear one because he thinks it looks "ridiculous." How do we know it wasn’t Donald Trump who gave his valet COVID-19? How do we know it wasn’t Mike Pence himself who transmitted the disease to his staffer because of his refusal to practice basic safety and ask his staff to do the same? It really seems only a matter of time before Mike Pence or Donald Trump themselves get a positive test.
And speaking of tests, the reason we know these staffers contracted the disease is because Donald Trump and Mike Pence, along and their entire staffs, are tested every single day now for the virus. Imagine that! These folks get all the testing, have personal doctors on-site, access to world-renowned epidemiologists and infectious disease experts and they are still contracting the disease. All while they want to send you back into public spaces to get the economy churning again.
Make plans to keep yourself safe because this administration can’t even keep their own staff safe.