Joy Behar gave Vice President Mike Pence a rare compliment for his coordination of the United States’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The cohosts of ABC’s The View were discussing President Trump’s recent Oval Office remarks during Thursday’s episode when Behar wondered if it was a “good time” for Trump to resign and allow Pence to take over of the federal government’s handling of the pandemic completely.
“You know, don’t you think that this is a good time for him to resign?” she asked. “I mean, Pence has been shown to be rather capable, I believe.”
“Well, there’s a little more confidence in Pence,” co-host Sunny Hostin replied.
“I feel a little more confident with Pence and [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony] Fauci at the helm. I do not feel any confidence with this guy,” Behar added of Trump.
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
The president tapped Pence last month to lead the White House’s task force in tackling the virus, saying at the time, “He has got a certain talent for this.”
Trump announced a new set of initiatives the administration would take on Wednesday, including a 30-day travel ban from all European countries, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland, as nations such as Italy struggle to limit the virus’s spread. His announcement came after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic.
Other new proposals include a payroll tax cut, low-interest loans to businesses within areas affected by the pandemic to counter economic disruption, deferred tax payments without penalties to affected businesses, and an $8 billion congressional plan to finance countermeasures.
House Democrats also unveiled a 124-page spending measure to address the pandemic, which includes a food stamps expansion and paid sick leave.
COVID-19 cases have appeared on every continent except Antarctica since the coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan, China, last year. Worldwide, nearly 128,000 people have tested positive for the virus, and it has killed at least 4,718 people. More than 1,300 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with illness, and at least 35 patients have died from it.
