Pence will reportedly approve all government messaging about coronavirus


Vice President Mike Pence won't just be behind the scenes — he'll be the star of the show.
After President Trump announced on Wednesday night that Pence will lead the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, The New York Times reported Thursday Pence would also run the government's messaging on the issue.
Pence will reportedly approve all coronavirus messaging by government health officials, including both public statements and public appearances. "Officials insist the goal is not to control the content of what subject-matter experts and other officials are saying," writes the Times, "but to make sure their efforts are being coordinated, after days of confusion with various administration officials showing up on television."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are 81,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with 60 in the United States. Nearly 3,000 people have died from the virus. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was the initial lead in the coronavirus response, and will remain the chair of the government's task force, but the administration reportedly wants to show the very top of the executive branch is taking the matter seriously. Pence will become the face of the response so that all lawmakers and health officials have one person to turn to, the Times reports. As The Washington Post reports, selecting Pence as the coronavirus "czar" was bound to garner criticism, seeing as Pence was governor of Indiana during the state's worst-ever HIV outbreak. Critics said Pence's handling of the crisis and policies cutting public health spending worsened the outbreak.
Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
President Trump: ‘waging war’ on Chicago
Talking Point Federal agents are carrying out ‘increasingly aggressive’ immigration raids – but have sanctuary cities like Chicago brought it on themselves?
-
Crossword: October 18, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Codeword: October 18, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections