Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney — not often a critic of the current administration by any means — wasn’t thrilled to see Vice President Mike Pence touring a hospital Tuesday with no protective mask on, defying the hospital’s policy.
“It does not help when public officials ignore their own rules like Vice President Mike Pence at the Mayo Clinic yesterday,” he told viewers Wednesday. “He should have worn a mask. He didn’t. We should all obey the rules coming out this week.”
Varney, who has criticized what he’s seen as public insults to President Donald Trump and has insisted Trump “exaggerates and spins” but doesn’t lie, was doing a segment on carefulness around re-opening the economy as temperatures rise.
“Across the country, businesses are re-opening. The restraints are coming off. As we’ve said all week long, cabin fever is meeting spring fever and we are getting out and about. Can we enjoy the spring responsibly? We better, because a spike in new cases will mean a second wave and perhaps a new and more crippling lockdown. Nobody wants that. Surely the answer is this: Wash your hands, wear a mask and keep your distance. That minimizes risk and if you’re still worried, stay home,” he told his audience.
Pence was roundly criticized Tuesday when pictures from his visit to the Minnesota hospital showed he was the only person not wearing a mask, in spite of Mayo Clinic guidelines that said everyone should be. In a now-deleted tweet, Mayo even said it had “informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival” Tuesday. He later told reporters that he is tested regularly for coronavirus, as is everyone around him, and he wanted to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say ‘thank you.’ ”