New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed Vice President Mike Pence “doesn’t believe in science” after he declined to wear a mask during his Tuesday visit to the Mayo Clinic.
The freshman Democrat claimed the visit was evidence that backed up her warning in February that Pence shouldn’t be in charge of the response to the coronavirus.
“When I warned everyone in *February* that Pence doesn’t believe in science and shouldn’t be in charge of COVID response, I meant it,” she tweeted Tuesday.
She added, “But I admit I did not have ‘VP visits COVID patients without wearing a mask’ on my bingo board.”
When I warned everyone in *February* that Pence doesn’t believe in science and shouldn’t be in charge of COVID response, I meant it.
But I admit I did not have “VP visits COVID patients without wearing a mask” on my bingo board. https://t.co/LmMM3n0Eng
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 29, 2020
Pence visited the Mayo Clinic’s coronavirus testing labs in Minnesota on Tuesday and was shown not wearing a face mask.
“Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today,” the Mayo Clinic said in a now-deleted tweet while the vice president was still in his meeting.
The Mayo Clinic’s rules require all staff, visitors, and patients to wear masks or other face coverings in an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Pence told reporters he is regularly tested for the COVID-19 virus and, therefore, did not need to wear a mask to protect others from contracting it.
“As vice president of the United States, I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” he told reporters.
“And 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 healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say, ‘Thank you.'”
Ocasio-Cortez, notably, did not wear a face mask while addressing Congress on April 23. She appeared to use a microphone that had been used by several other lawmakers, and that was continued to be used after her speech.
“It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill. The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Shake Shack.
Those are the people getting assistance in this bill.” – @AOC pic.twitter.com/W9XnUOzvJi
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 23, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez criticized President Trump’s appointment of Pence to lead the coronavirus response task force in February, claiming that his response to an outbreak of HIV and hepatitis C in Indiana cost people their lives.
While governor, Pence was asked about a needle exchange program to combat the outbreak and responded that he was going to “pray on it.”
Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, bashed the choice over Pence’s 2015 response.
As governor, Pence’s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana’s history.
He is not a medical doctor. He is not a health expert. He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health.
https://t.co/1jVY44p2HF— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 27, 2020
Trump’s plan for the coronavirus so far:
-Cut winter heating assistance for the poor
-Have VP Pence, who wanted to “pray away” HIV epidemic, oversee the response
-Let ex-pharma lobbyist Alex Azar refuse to guarantee affordable vaccines to allDisgusting. pic.twitter.com/98HVjUVY8C
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 27, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
