Naming Mike Pence coronavirus czar with 'zero experience in the medical area' is 'a total joke,' says 2014 Trump

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last updated 27 February 2020

President Trump on Wednesday appointed Vice President Mike Pence his point person on the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that is spreading disease and panic through much of the world. Pence's appointment was reportedly a surprise to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who had been in charge of the Trump administration's response up until Trump's announcement.

Pence has zero experience in the medical area and no real expertise in infections disease control, which would seem to make his appointment "A TOTAL JOKE," according to Trump, circa 2014.

To be fair, Azar is also not a doctor and doesn't have a robust public health background. His medical experience mostly involves a stint as the top lawyer at HHS and years as a lobbyist and executive for the pharmaceutical industry. But at least the large government agency he leads has "health" in its name. Peter Weber

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Editor's note: This article previously included an inaccurate tweet. It has been removed. We regret the error.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.