Pence refused a mask at Mayo Clinic because he wanted to thank workers by 'looking them in the eye'

Mike Pence.
(Image credit: Leah Millis-Pool/Getty Images)

Vice President Mike Pence has a very simple explanation for why he avoided wearing a mask around coronavirus patients.

On Tuesday, Pence visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to meet with health care workers and even a COVID-19 patient at the hospital and research center. A photo later showed Pence ignored hospital policy and didn't wear a mask on his tour — and later said it was because he wanted to "look" the workers "in the eye" when thanking them.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.