Pence Deletes Photo of Campaign Staff Without Masks, Crowded Together

Vice President Mike Pence posted, and then quickly deleted, a photo showing a group of people working on President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign gathered closely together without face masks, CNN reports.

In the photo, which was posted to Twitter Wednesday night before it was removed, shows staff members giving the vice president a thumbs up as they packed in tight for the picture.

"Stopped by to see the great men and women of the Trump-Pence Team today!" Pence wrote in the since-deleted post. "Thank you for all of the hard work, keep it up!"

He added #FourMoreYears and #KAG, which stands for Keep America Great, followed by an American flag emoji.

In the photo, Pence does not appear to wear a face mask as he addresses the crowd, signaling them with a thumbs up. The vice president's face is not featured in the photo. 

CNN reports the photo likely was taken in the campaign’s Arlington, Va. office because Pence was not scheduled to travel outside the area on Wednesday.

Northern Virginia is under phase one of its reopening plan. Phase one calls for social distancing measures to be put in place in office buildings and discourages gatherings of employees.

The area is scheduled to enter phase two on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced earlier this week.

This isn't the first time Pence has appeared in public without a mask. He was criticized for not wearing a mask when he visited a Mayo Clinic medical facility in April.

Pence later admitted he should have worn a mask during the visit. 

• Virginia Gov. Makes Face Masks Mandatory in Public Places
• Pence Says he Should Have Worn Face Mask at Mayo Clinic