Vice President Mike Pence called it “irresponsible” that voices on the left are attacking the president amid the fast-moving outbreak of coronavirus.
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” to air Sunday, Pence, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead to the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak, condemned a headline “Let’s Call It Trumpvirus” atop a New York Times commentary critical of the administration’s response.
“’When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that's important, and I think it's justified,” he said.
"Washington D.C. has just become reflexively critical of this president at every turn, and we saw some of that early,” Pence said.
“But when the president tapped me for this job, he said, ‘Mike, I want you to do two things… Number one, I want you to assure the American people that we are ready, and that the risk to Americans remains low.’ That's what our health experts are telling us, and it's true. And then he said, ‘And I want you to make it clear that we're all in this together.’”
Pence also declared the nation is ready to handle more cases of the viral illness — and that Trump will support local decisions on closures that might be necessary.
“There will be more cases. There's no question,” he said, adding: “It is the confidence of all of our health experts who are widely regarded as the best in the world... the vast majority of any American that would contract a coronavirus will be treated, they will recover."
"[Closures of schools] are decisions that governors in consultation with local health officials will make as they deem that necessary,” he said. “But other than in areas where there are individuals that have been infected with the coronavirus, people need to understand that for the average American, the risk does remain low."
According to Pence, the decision by Trump to ban Americans from traveling to Iran, where the death toll is rising from the virulent spread, is justified.
“This would also include foreign nationals, so if someone from another country had been in Iran in the last 14 days, they're going to be banned from coming in the United States,” he noted.
"The president made the decision to raise the travel advisory to ‘do not travel,’” he said. “We're telling Americans not to travel to that region of South Korea or that region of Italy [affected by virus]. In addition to that, our State Department … began discussions with both Italy and South Korea in ways that they will be screening people who are seeking to leave those countries and come to the United States."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.