Infections Since Pence Wrongly Declared Victory Over The Virus in His June 16 Op-Ed: 3.7 Million
Deaths Since Pence’s Op-Ed: 62,406
As Vice President Pence prepares to address the Republican National Convention, and as Republicans wrongly relegate the ongoing coronavirus crisis to the rear-view mirror, it bears keeping in mind that it was Pence who was tasked with overseeing President Trump’s botched coronavirus response, which has resulted in almost 180,000 deaths in the United States and nearly 6 million cases.
Throughout the pandemic, Pence stood in Trump’s shadow as the president peddled misinformation, downplayed the threat, and put Americans at risk. Pence left Americans vulnerable as he tried desperately to please President Trump, misleading the public rather than taking decisive action to curb the spread of the virus. Pence even went so far as to falsely declare victory over the pandemic, writing on June 16 that “panic was overblown” even though all the signs pointed to a destructive surge that later overwhelmed hospitals and triggered thousands of deaths.
America still faces the worst outbreak in the world. Millions are still unemployed. The virus is still spreading. And as Pence tries to once again distort the facts, it’s worth remembering that it never had to be this bad.
Just as Infections Began to Skyrocket, Mike Pence Wrongly Declared Victory Over the Pandemic and Claimed “Panic Was Overblown.”
On June 16, Pence Claimed: “Panic Is Overblown.” In an OpEd for the Wall Street Journal, Pence wrote: “The media has taken to sounding the alarm bells over a ‘second wave’ of coronavirus infections. Such panic is overblown. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and the courage and compassion of the American people, our public health system is far stronger than it was four months ago, and we are winning the fight against the invisible enemy.” [Wall Street Journal Opinion, 6/16/20]
- One Month Later, The United States Reported Nearly 70,000 New Infections. “The United States reported 67,417 new cases of the coronavirus on [July 14], setting yet another fresh record for new cases reported in a single day.” [CNBC, 7/15/20]
- One Month Later, More People Were Hospitalized With COVID-19 Than At Almost Any Other Time Throughout The Pandemic. “More Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19 than at almost any other point in the pandemic, a grim indicator that the coronavirus pandemic is not slowing down in the US. On July 23, 59,846 people across the United States were in the hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, according to data reported by the Covid Tracking Project, just below the peak of 59,940 reached on April 15, when the New York City area was the epicenter of the US outbreak.” [Vox, 7/24/20]
- By Two Months Later, 1,000 People Were Dying From Coronavirus In The United States Each Day. “The virus, which didn’t even exist a year ago, is now killing more Americans than Alzheimer’s disease, accidents and diabetes. Over the past three weeks, the US has averaged more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths per day. ‘Covid is now the No. 3 cause of death in the US — ahead of accidents, injuries, lung disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and many, many other causes,’ said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” [CNN, 8/17/20]
Pence Has Downplayed the Pandemic Since the Beginning, Wasting Time and Opportunity to Slow the Spread
In Mid-June, Pence Encouraged Governors To Repeat The Lie That Cases Were Spiking In States Because Of An Increase In Testing. “Vice President Mike Pence encouraged governors on Monday to adopt the administration’s explanation that a rise in testing was a reason behind new coronavirus outbreaks, even though testing data has shown that such a claim is misleading. ‘I would just encourage you all, as we talk about these things, to make sure and continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of increase in testing,’ Mr. Pence said on a call with governors, audio of which was obtained by The New York Times. ‘And that in most of the cases where we are seeing some marginal rise in number, that’s more a result of the extraordinary work you’re doing.’” [The New York Times, 6/15/20]
In June, Pence Downplayed Massive Surges Across The South As Localized Flare-Ups. “‘We have made truly remarkable progress in moving our nation forward,’ said Vice President Mike Pence at the Department of Health and Human Services’ headquarters. ‘We slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives.’ Although officials acknowledged the surge of new cases across the South and Southwest of the country at the Friday event, Pence played down the outbreaks as localized flareups ‘in specific communities’ rather than widespread problems, and credited America’s growing testing capacity for much of the increase. ‘Thirty-four states across the country are experiencing a measure of stability,’ Pence said, though 16 states are seeing both rising cases and rising percentages of people testing positive for the virus.” [Politico, 6/26/20]
Pence Praised Georgia’s Unsafe Economic Reopening As An “Example To The Nation.” “Vice President Mike Pence on [May 22] praised Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia restaurant owners who have reopened their establishments in recent weeks, lending a high-level dose of support to state leaders who have been criticized for ending pandemic restrictions too soon. Pence said Georgia is setting ‘an example to the nation’ by being among the first and most aggressive to restart its economy… ’In a very real sense, I think history will record that Georgia helped lead the way back to a prosperous American economy,’ Pence told reporters after a barbecue lunch with the governor and first lady Marty Kemp at Star Cafe near Atlanta’s Westside.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/24/20]
- Three Months After Its Unsafe, Premature Reopening, Georgia Led The Country In Coronavirus Cases Per Capita. “Per capita, Georgia has reported the most cases per day over a seven-day average of any state, followed by Texas and Florida. The states are led by governors who pushed to reopen during the spring, saw major summer surges of cases and are currently pushing to reopen schools.” [CNN, 8/19/20]
Despite That President Trump Falsely Claimed, From The Beginning, That The Virus Would Disappear, Pence Said Trump Has Never “Belittled The Threat Of The Coronavirus.” “Pence declined, however, to acknowledge that President Trump repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus: “I don’t think the president has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus,” Pence said.” [Axios, 4/1/20]
Pence Failed To Act Decisively While Leading The Coronavirus Task Force In March, Wasting Valuable That Allowed The Virus To Spread Out Of Control. “When the CDC ultimately issued its no-sail order on March 14, it was more than two weeks after some officials had argued to Pence that it was necessary — and after dozens of additional cruises had set sail in the intervening days around the globe, further spreading the virus and sickening Americans. ‘By the time we locked down the cruise ships, it was too late,’ said one former official involved in the task force meetings. ‘The entire country was seeded with virus.’ …It wasn’t just the cruise ship question. Other initiatives that were in the works when Pence replaced health secretary Alex Azar as the leader of the task force were placed on hold while the vice president pondered next steps. ‘We definitely lost time,’ said one health official familiar with the inner dealings of the task force. ‘How much, I can’t say … but it was disruptive to slam the brakes when we should’ve been going full speed ahead.’” [Politico, 8/26/20]
In March, After The Virus Was Already Circulating And After The Administration Had Been Warned Of Its Severity, Pence Said “The Risk Of Contracting The Coronavirus To The American Public Remains Low.” “In fact, as I stand before you today, the risk of contracting the coronavirus to the American public remains low, and the risk of serious disease among the American public also remains low.” [Coronavirus Task Force Briefing, 3/9/20]
Pence, Like President Trump, Has Flouted Guidelines for Mask-Wearing and Social Distancing
In August, Pence Attended An Iowa Campaign Rally Mask-Less. “Vice President Mike Pence went mask-less in Iowa last week as he reached across a barrier to autograph a half-dozen familiar red Trump campaign hats, literally crossing the line of vulnerability outlined by the coronavirus task force he heads… During Pence’s Des Moines event, chairs arranged in small clusters six feet apart were quickly abandoned as many in the audience of about 200, few in masks, moved within a few inches of each other. Dozens crowded together afterward to get an autograph or nod from Pence.” [Associated Press, 8/19/20]
On June 10, Pence Posted And Later Deleted A Picture Of His Visit To The Trump Campaign Office Where Dozens Of Staffers Were Not Wearing Masks Or Social Distancing. “US Vice President Mike Pence deleted a tweet he sent on Wednesday evening showing dozens of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign staffers standing closely together without masks on, in clear violation of the White House’s social-distancing guidelines. ‘Stopped by to see the great men and women of the Trump-Pence Team today!’ Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, wrote in the tweet. ‘Thank you for all of the hard work, keep it up!’ The accompanying photo showed Pence standing in front of a packed room of dozens of staffers, most posing with their thumbs up. The photo appeared to have been taken in the Trump campaign’s Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters.” [Business Insider, 6/10/20]
On April 29, Pence Refused To Wear A Mask While Visiting The Mayo Clinic In Rochester, Minnesota, Despite It Being Mandated By The Hospital. “When Vice President Mike Pence walked into the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday, he wasn’t wearing a face mask. Everyone else in the building was, according to reporters who were traveling with him. After all, it has been the policy at the renowned Rochester, Minnesota, facility since April 13. They even say they’ll provide one. Pence was told of the new rules before he visited, the clinic said on Twitter, a post that was subsequently deleted. ‘Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today,’ they had written. But as he visited a blood and plasma donation center inside the building, Pence was bare-faced.” [CNN, 4/28/20]
In April, The Pence-Led Coronavirus Task Force Nixed A Plan To Mail Cloth Masks To Every American. “For instance, a plan suggested at the task force meetings in March by Robert Kadlec, the health department’s top emergency preparedness official, would have involved partnering with manufacturers like Hanes and potentially mailing cloth masks to every American, along with instructions on how to wear them. While the idea had public health promise — ‘how different would the outbreak be if every American in April got a cloth mask from the government,’ mused one former senior administration official — the plan died under Pence’s watch, with some task force attendees arguing they thought Kadlec’s proposal was too costly or not necessary at that stage of the outbreak.” [Politico, 8/26/20]
Pence Silenced Public Health Experts But Embraced Doctors Who Pushed Misinformation About Hydroxychloroquine
Pence Reined In Appearances Of The Coronavirus Task Force, Prompting Allegations That Dr. Anthony Fauci Was Being “Muzzled.” “Pence’s office also temporarily reined in media appearances for task force members, including the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, as the vice president’s team assessed the communications strategy. That prompted charges in the media that Fauci was being ‘muzzled’ by the White House — an allegation that Fauci quickly denied as a ‘real misrepresentation.’” [Politico, 8/26/20]
Pence Met With Doctors Who Pushed The “Miracle Drug” Hydroxychloroquine, And Whose Video Was Later Removed From Facebook For Spreading Misinformation. “Vice President Mike Pence and members of his staff met Tuesday with some of the doctors who were featured in a video that was later removed from social media for misinformation, those doctors said on Wednesday. The video, which was shared by President Donald Trump before being removed, featured members of the group America’s Frontline Doctors standing on the steps of the Supreme Court claiming that masks aren’t necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus and promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure. Both claims are contradicted by scientific studies.” [CNN, 7/29/20]
Pence’s Missteps as the Head of the Coronavirus Task Force Exacerbated PPE Shortages
Amid PPE Shortages, More Than 1,000 Health Care Workers Have Died Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic. “More than 1,000 front-line health care workers reportedly have died of COVID-19, according to Lost on the Frontline, an ongoing investigation by The Guardian and KHN to track and memorialize every U.S. health care worker who dies from the coronavirus. “ [Kaiser Health News, Accessed 8/26/20]
Pence Encouraged Health Care Workers To Dangerously “Preserve And Reuse” PPE Amid Shortages And Administration’s Failure To Shore Up Supplies. “Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. government will issue guidance encouraging front-line health care workers to reuse personal protective equipment as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens in the country. Pence, speaking at a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on July 8, said PPE supplies remain ‘very strong,’ but the Trump administration will be encouraging health care workers ‘to use some of the best practices’ to ‘preserve and reuse’ face masks and other protective equipment.” [Fox News, 7/8/20]
In June, The American Medical Association Begged Vice President Pence To Encourage The Administration To Make Use Of The Defense Production Act To Expand Supplies Of Protective Gear. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to urge the administration to utilize the Defense Production Act to make sure there is sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for physicians in all settings… The AMA now believes the situation with PPE in ambulatory settings is so challenging that the only way to address it is for the administration to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) so the much needed N95 masks and gowns are available so patients, physicians and their staffs can safely treat as many patients as possible.” [American Medical Association, Letter to Vice President Pence, 6/30/20]
Pence’s Coronavirus Task Force And The Trump Administration Allowed PPE To Be Sent Overseas Until April, Despite Shortages At Home. “Incidents have spurred the Pence-led coronavirus task force to scrutinize all of USAID’s deliveries to countries requesting personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to fight the outbreak…The administration has also placed a moratorium on overseas shipments of USAID’s stockpiles of protective gear and is asking that the equipment be sent to the U.S. instead, other officials said. The heightened scrutiny comes as American health care workers complain of severe shortages of masks, goggles and gloves amid a nationwide spike in coronavirus cases, and as Democrats rip the administration for shipping aid to other countries while vastly underestimating America’s own needs.” [Politico, 4/2/20]