Images of a maskless Mike Pence has placed Trump’s 2nd flunkie in command in a heap of trouble.
Current Events
During a visit earlier this week to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, VP Mike Pence was politely asked to do like everyone else and follow hospital protocol by wearing a mask while on the premises. He refused. Instead, Maskless Mike Pence was photographed traipsing around the famed medical facility with a bare face while everyone else did what was asked and covered their mugs.
So, exactly why did Maskless Mike go unmasked? In his own words, Pence said: “Since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you.”
Let’s look at all the things that are wrong with his flimsy excuse.
Firstly, Mike Pence is head of the White House COVID-19 Task Force. Mike Pence is also the one who pushed the rule that EVERYONE EVERYWHERE should ALWAYS wear a mask in order to stop the spread of the deadly virus and to help “flatten the curve.” So, for Pence to defy the one rule he has spent so much time drilling into the rest of us is not only disobedient and disrespectful, but it creates the optics that he is privileged and above the need to follow rules.
Next, Maskless Mike Pence claimed that his decision to go barefaced was justified by his (alleged) negative result for the coronavirus. However, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta ripped that theory to shreds.
“When you get a negative test, that is a point in time,” Dr. Gupta said. “If he’s getting tested periodically that’s great, but you don’t really know. You could have another exposure and potentially harbor the virus in your body, have no symptoms.”
Or, in other words, if Pence tests negative on Monday, he’s not guaranteed to remain negative by Tuesday.
And finally, Pence attempted to make the point he was justified in not wearing a mask because his personal mission to “look them in the eye and say thank you” was more important than following rules as the hospital requested.
Well, Maskeless Mike Pence, in case you’re not aware — the mask goes over the nose and the mouth and NOT the eyes. So, wearing a mask would not have prevented you from looking anyone “in the eye.”
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Hey @VP when I go to @MayoClinic tomorrow to bring my dad to his 4 cancer appts should I tell them I’m not going to wear a mask so I can look them in the eye? Oh wait, my dad and others at the HOSPITAL have extremely compromised immune systems and I’m not a moron!!!
— Emily Williamson (@EmilyCobenais) April 29, 2020
The double-standard Pence portrayed not only disrespected the clinic and unnecessarily put countless patients and health professionals at risk, but it provided America with this visual excuse: You don’t have to follow rules so long as you come up with a personal reason that sounds good enough to you and you alone.
Way to go, Maskless Mike!
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So, for Pence to defy the one rule he has spent so much time drilling into the rest of us is not only disobedient and disrespectful, but it creates the optics that he is privileged and above the need to follow rules. […] – DJ
Yep. It also confirmed that, just like his boss, Pence is an absolute idiot and reckless ignoramus.
To borrow a thought from Daniel Larison (at TAC) who has a piece up this morning titled: “It Took COVID To Expose The Fraud Of ‘American Exceptionalism’
The combination of the Trump presidency and COVID-19 have Exposed much of the Truth about America. How WE lost Our way and have come the troubling place WE are today, beginning with the ignorant, arrogant, inept AND totally incompetent FRAUDS in executive positions of political or corporate power, going back at least 35 years.