Vice President Mike Pence ran through the CDC guidelines during the virus briefing and intentionally omitted wearing a mask.
Pence said, “And in the 16 states that are being impacted particularly those that we’ll focus on here today we would just encourage every American to follow the guidelines for all the phases, continue to practice good hygiene, wash your hands, avoid touching your face, disinfect frequently. People who feel sick should stay home, and when it comes to businesses social distancing, protective equipment, temperature checks, testing and isolation. These are the guidelines for all of the phases, and they are good practices to implement if you’re in a community that’s affected or even if you are not because we’re all in this together.”
Video:
Pence refuses to tell Americans to wear a mask during coronavirus briefing. pic.twitter.com/DSYt99D2XP
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 26, 2020
An HHS official told NBC’s Katy Tur that they had no clue why Pence left out wearing a mask:
My convo w HHS official:
Q: Why won’t he say wear a mask?
A: Everyone in here but the speaker is wearing one.
Q: Why not say it?
A: Pence was relating data not guidance.
Q: Temperature, socially distance, “protective equipment?†Will POTUS be mad at “mask?â€
A: I have no clue. https://t.co/IRjCKq1FDB— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) June 26, 2020
The answer is that Donald Trump doesn’t want Americans wearing masks because he thinks that it is a political statement against him. Trump and Pence are trying to make the virus disappear, so they do not want any physical symbol of the reality that the virus is surging.
The briefing that has come from Trump administration officials like Pence has been nothing but propaganda and political spin.
The coronavirus is surging in parts of the country because as Mike Pence showed today, the Trump administration is continuing to place politics ahead of public health.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
