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Karen Pence Defends Mike from Outrage Mob After Mayo Clinic Mask Confusion

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Second lady Karen Pence defended the vice president on Thursday after he was criticized for not wearing a protective mask during his visit to the Minnesota Mayo Clinic this week.

“As our medical experts have told us, wearing a mask prevents you from spreading the disease, and knowing that he doesn’t have COVID-19, he didn’t wear one,” Karen Pence told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” saying Vice President Mike Pence had tested negative for the virus.

On April 13, the Mayo Clinic announced that it would require all patients and visitors to wear a face mask or cover when they visit the clinic.

Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own, but if they do not have a mask, the Mayo Clinic would provide one.

The clinic had tweeted that it informed the vice president of the policy prior to his arrival, but it later deleted the claim, Fox News reported.

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“It was actually after he left Mayo Clinic that he found out that they had a policy of asking everyone to wear a mask,” Karen Pence told “Fox & Friends.”

Video footage and photographs from Pence’s visit to the clinic show the vice president not wearing a mask while everyone else around him was.

Pence told reporters that he agreed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask guidelines and said that he, and everyone around him, is regularly tested for the virus.

Many Democrats, mainstream media figures and celebrities were quick to criticize Pence’s decision.

“In Pence’s visit to the Mayo Clinic, he was trying to show us how ‘tough’ he is — but just showed his arrogance, lack of concern for others, and vanity,” Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard tweeted.

Actress Barbra Streisand tweeted that Pence and President Donald Trump are “terrible role models for our nation.”

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Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois scolded Pence and told WMAQ-TV, “I think the vice president was acting as irresponsibly as the hosts who were holding a house party [over the weekend] in Chicago.”

Do you think Pence should have been wearing a mask?

Fellow Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, a Republican, countered that the guidelines don’t say everyone has to “wear a mask 24 hours a day.”

“The guidelines aren’t wear a mask every second, every day,” he said. “It is be safe.”

Karen Pence added, “Someone who has worked on this whole task force for over two months is not someone who would have done anything to offend anyone or hurt anyone or scare anyone.”

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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