Pence Wears A Mask This Time—After Sparking Outrage Days Earlier

While touring a General Motors factory producing ventilators, Pence wore a white surgical mask, according to footage from reporters present.

The move comes after Pence was harshly criticized for not wearing a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday, flouting the clinic’s own rules mandating face coverings on its campus.

The Mayo Clinic spat gained even more attention after the non-profit research clinic tweeted, then deleted, a statement saying that Pence was informed of the Mayo Clinic’s policy before his visit.

In a statement to Forbes on Tuesday, the Mayo Clinic didn’t back off the claim made in the now-deleted tweet: “Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office,” the statement reads.

Pence defended himself after the initial visit by saying he gets tested regularly for the coronavirus, adding that he wanted to look the Mayo Clinic researchers  “in the eye and say thank you,” despite the fact that wearing a mask does not cover a person’s eyes. 

Karen Pence, the vice president’s wife, further explained on “Fox and Friends” Thursday that Pence had actually not been told of the Mayo Clinic guidelines, contradicting the clinic.