VP Pence Deletes Tweet That Appears to Show Trump Campaign HQ Violating CDC Guidelines and Virginia’s Social Distancing Laws
Vice President Mike Pence posted and then deleted a tweet taken at a Trump 2020 campaign office in Arlington, Virginia, which showed dozens of staffers packed in shoulder to shoulder none of whom were wearing masks, which appeared to violate Covid-19 social distancing rules still in effect in that state.
Pence, who still chairs the White House coronavirus task force, posted the image and a call out to “the great men and women of the Trump-Pence Team” at 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday evening. In the image, roughly 100 men and women are crowded in next to each other giving a reciprocal thumbs up to Pence who is standing a few feet away.
Not long after the tweet went up, however, Twitter users began to point out that the photo conflicted with Phase two of Virginia’s current social distancing rules, which went into effect on June 5. Those new rules prohibit social gatherings of more than 50 people, mandate all business to adhere to physical distancing, and requires face coverings for all individuals in indoor public settings. The vice president’s photo appears to violate all of those regulations.
The Vice President deleted this tweet minutes after I pointed out it was in violation of Virginia law.
Cc @parisa4justice– enforce the Governors order. pic.twitter.com/wh53HI4qPS
— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) June 11, 2020
CNN political reporter DJ Judd and Virginia Congressman Rep. Don Beyer (D) also joined in and called out the Trump campaign for setting a poor example by flouting CDC rules and breaking state laws as the pandemic has begun to surge again in many states across the country.
As @notlarrysabato points out, in addition to flouncing CDC guidelines, this type of gathering is still against the law in Virginia, where Trump campaign headquarters are based. https://t.co/zuRg5F2RjB https://t.co/Mwe8Xl27Pr
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) June 11, 2020
Pence and dozens who work for Trump flagrantly violating Virginia public health orders that face coverings be worn at any “indoor place shared by groups of people who are in close proximity to each other.”https://t.co/eSDHYuY3Hk
This isn’t “law and order,” it’s a huge problem. https://t.co/6776TmAQR7
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 11, 2020
