Pence Faces Backlash About Testing After He Suggests There Was a ‘Misunderstanding’ of His Promise

Vice President Mike Pence is at the center of controversy after suggesting there was a “misunderstanding” regarding the number of coronavirus tests he promised.

During the White House’s coronavirus press briefing on Monday, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Pence about his previous promise. Pence previously committed on March 9 and March 10 to deliver approximately 4 million tests by the end of the week.

Karl asked if Pence learned anything from the “mistakes” that he could use to improve his handling of the issue, going forward.

Pence responded saying, “I appreciate the question, but it represents a misunderstanding on your part and frankly the — a lot of people in the public’s part — about the difference between having a test versus the ability to actually process the test.”

See the full exchange below:

The comment quickly garnered criticism from many people who have accused the vice president of “gaslighting” when it comes to accurate reporting of the tests conducted. Gaslighting is manipulating someone using psychological means.

According to a CNN fact check on the vice president’s comments, “If there was a misunderstanding, Pence’s own remarks helped create it.” As CNN writes, “Pence did not add a caveat about how the system was currently unable to deal with the 4 million tests. And he specifically mentioned commercial labs immediately after mentioning the 4 million tests, creating the impression that the labs would be able to handle the tests.”

Some people also noted the White House’s comments promising 27 million tests by the end of March.

Despite the mounting criticism, Pence has opted to focus on what the White House has achieved, noting that two months ago less than 10,000 coronavirus tests had been completed nationwide.

“Now, Mr. President, we have 5.4 million tests,” Pence continued.

On Monday, details about President Donald Trump’s blueprint for state testing was announced. The blueprint will reportedly include insight on testing response and initial actions.

As of Tuesday morning, the United States has more than 1 million positive coronavirus cases.