The Washington Post ripped Vice President Mike Pence for “a burst of happy talk” about the Trump administration’s efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
The newspaper’s comments came in an editorial posted Wednesday.
"Officials must maintain credibility and public trust,” the Post said. “They must not ‘over-reassure’ and should be candid about risks and unexpected events. By this measure, Vice President Pence, who heads the White House task force on the coronavirus pandemic, has been a case study in irresponsibility.”
The newspaper referred specifically to Pence’s column in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
The Post said the column “rightly called attention to some progress in fighting the virus, but also included a burst of happy talk. Mr. Pence declared, ‘We are winning the fight against the invisible enemy’ and took the media to task for worrying about a second wave.”
And it added: “Mr. Pence characterized the approach of President Trump as a ‘success’ and ‘a cause for celebration, not the media’s fear mongering.’”
The Post noted that Pence’s comments came a day after nine states either reported “new single-day highs in case counts or set a record for seven-day averages.”
It claimed Pence “has never shied away from over-reassurance.”
“The pandemic is still raging,” the Post said. “Try as they might to spin a recovery story, Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump destroy their own credibility by ignoring reality. The American people know this is not ‘cause for celebration.’”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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