At least five members of Mike Pence's campaign staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days, and as far as I can tell, nobody on Pence's staff is going to do anything differently, because "it's just like the flu" or something.
At least three top aides to Vice President Mike Pence have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last few days, people briefed on the matter said, raising fresh questions about the safety protocols at the White House, where masks are not routinely worn.
Devin O’Malley, a spokesman for Mr. Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, said that the vice president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, had tested positive. A person briefed on the diagnosis said it was received on Saturday.
“Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence both tested negative for Covid-19 today, and remain in good health,” Mr. O’Malley said. “While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the vice president will maintain his schedule in accordance with the C.D.C. guidelines for essential personnel.”
The statement did not come from the White House medical unit, but instead from a press aide. Two people briefed on the matter said that the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had sought to keep news of the outbreak from becoming public.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Meadows did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
A Trump adviser briefed on the outbreak, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that Pence adviser Marty Obst also tested positive earlier this week. Mr. Obst’s positive test was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Another person briefed on the developments, who also was not allowed to speak publicly, said that three additional Pence staff members had tested positive. Mr. O’Malley did not immediately respond to a question about others who have tested positive.
Mr. Pence’s decision to continue campaigning, despite his proximity to his chief of staff, is certain to raise fresh questions about how seriously the White House is taking the risks to its staff members and to the public as the pandemic has killed nearly 225,000 people in the United States.
Again, and I really can't stress this enough, all the evidence points towards the US being smack in the middle of a major new wave of COVID-19 infections, and not only is the Trump regime literally not doing anything about containing itit, they are actively spreading the virus through their actions. Trump, Pence, and their infected campaign staffs are criss-crossing the country and will continue to do so for the next ten days, drawing crowds of thousands of unmasked people daily who actively refuse to take safety precautions.
There's already evidence Trump's hate rallies are spreading the virus, and we'll almost certainly pass 100,000 cases per day next month. Hospitals are filling, people are ignoring masks, and nobody seems to me mentioning the need for a lockdown again.
Maybe after the election, I guess.
Another hundred thousand dead by the end of the year won't really matter, will it?
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