With the election quickly approaching, Vice President Mike Pence is defending the Trump administration’s decision to hold campaign events amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pence was pressed on the issue during a coronavirus task force briefing on Friday.
A reporter asked Pence why the administration continues to hold rallies despite advice from experts suggesting Americans social distance.
“Well, the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States, and we have an election coming up this fall,” Pence said.
Check out his comments below:
Pressed on why Pres. Trump is holding campaign rallies amid the COVID-19 pandemic without requiring face coverings, Vice Pres. Mike Pence cites "freedom of speech," and tells @ABC's @KyraPhillips "we have an election coming up this fall." https://t.co/eyDlLxPIzj pic.twitter.com/YCXelGzV0a
— ABC News (@ABC) June 26, 2020
Pence reiterated the administration wants to provide Americans with the opportunity to attend the rallies in preparation for the upcoming election.
“President Trump and I believe that, taking proper steps as we created screening at recent events and giving people the very best counsel that we have, we still want to give people the freedom to participate in the political process, and we respect that,” Pence said.
Pence went on to point out the positivity rate for coronavirus tests has declined in Oklahoma since Trump held a campaign rally there last week.
In the few days prior to the rally, Trump touted a reported 1 million ticket requests, as IJR previously reported.
He quickly received criticism on social media as many pointed out the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma was not completely filled.
Trump later shared his reaction to the Tulsa rally turnout, as IJR previously reported.
“We actually had a nice crowd despite all of the warnings and everything else other networks were trying to do, despite the fact that we had some pretty bad people waiting there, they shouldn’t have been… maybe some of the people I just talked about,” Trump said.
He added, “And online I heard the record was unbelievable. I heard the numbers were unbelievable.”
The rise in coronavirus cases has affected the president’s travel plans as the White House announced Friday his trip to New Jersey has been canceled.
