Mike Pence Defends Campaign Events During Coronavirus as a Constitutional Freedom

Vice President Mike Pence on Friday said that the Trump campaign would continue to hold campaign events, despite the surge of coronavirus cases in several states.

CBS reporter Paula Reid complained to Pence during a coronavirus task force briefing that the campaign was ignoring their guidelines while holding political events in Tulsa and Phoenix.

“It really does sound, though, like you’re saying do as we say not as we do,” she said.

Pence cited the Constitution to defend continued campaign activity.

“Freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States,” he said. “Even in a health crisis, the American people don’t forfeit our constitutional rights.”

Pence said that the campaign would continue to hold events, taking proper steps to help supporters protect themselves.

“We still want to give people the freedom to participate in the political process,” Pence said.

He noted that the positive case numbers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the president had a campaign rally nearly two weeks ago, continued to decline.

“I think it’s really important how important freedom and personal responsibility are to this entire equation,” he said.