Pence comes under fire for going maskless at Mayo Clinic

Vice President Mike Pence, center, visits a patient who survived the coronavirus and was going to give blood during a tour of the Mayo Clinic Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Rochester, Minn. as he toured the facilities supporting COVID-19 research and treatment. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask while touring the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

It’s an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them.

In a statement, the Mayo Clinic said “Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office.”

Video feeds show he didn’t wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19.

He was also maskless when he visited a coronavirus testing lab.

And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a roundtable discussion.

Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn was among those wearing masks.

Pence explained his decision by stressing that he has been frequently tested for the virus.