PoliticoAmerica’s coronavirus point man Pence faces toughest test of Trump era
- Donald Trump assigned his right-hand man to a role that could shape the president’s fate in an election year
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Gabby Orr on politico.com on March 2, 2020.
Behind US Vice-President Mike Pence’s steady demeanour and steely look since taking charge of the US government response to coronavirus is a cruel truth: he will emerge either as the architect of a successful containment strategy – boosting his own résumé and President Donald Trump’s re-election odds – or deal a potentially fatal blow to his political aspirations.
In the days since Trump tapped his right-hand man to lead the administration’s coronavirus task force, people in Pence’s orbit have been warning him of the gravity of this moment. Some have offered encouragement and advice from afar. Others have used Twitter and TV appearances to tamp down concerns about public health risks and economic disruptions.
Yet few have tried to play down the pressure Pence faces as the point person for a new viral epidemic – one that has thrust global markets into violent swings and threatens to knock the US economy into recession – under a famously mercurial president.
“This is the equivalent of war. This is a big deal and people are going to die, and so you can’t afford to make mistakes,” said former House speaker Newt Gingrich.
Gingrich sent a note to Pence on Sunday praising the “discipline” he showed during a tough Sunday show interview about the virus, and he insists the vice-president’s primary focus is on public safety. But Gingrich also conceded the tremendous political risks for Pence, whose own presidential ambitions are widely known.