Jimmy Kimmel shares misleading clip of Mike Pence jokingly suggesting that he carry empty boxes of medical supplies 'just for the cameras'
- Vice President Mike Pence stopped by a nursing home to help deliver personal protective equipment on Thursday. Notably, Pence didn't wear a mask or gloves while interacting closely with others.
- After carrying a few boxes of supplies to the door of the facility, Pence jokingly asked to continue carrying empty boxes "just for the cameras."
- Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel wrongly accused Pence of carrying the empty boxes as a publicity stunt and a shortened clip of the interaction was widely shared online.
- Democratic critics quickly piled on. "I see Mike Pence is full of shit as usual" James Carville, a veteran Democratic strategist, tweeted.
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Vice President Mike Pence visited a Northern Virginia nursing home on Thursday to help deliver essential personal protective equipment to the healthcare center, which is battling several coronavirus cases.
Pence, who faced backlash for not wearing a face mask to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last week, carried boxes of equipment from a van to the door of the facility without wearing a mask or gloves while interacting in close proximity with several people who were similarly unprotected.
After carrying a few boxes that appeared full of supplies, Pence was informed that the rest of the boxes in the van were empty and that his task was complete.
"Those are empty, sir. We're good to go," an aide told him.
"Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the cameras?" Pence joked.
"Absolutely," an aide said as the group laughed.
Pence then shuts the doors to the van and returns to talk to facility members from the nursing home.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel shared a shortened clip of the encounter during his program on Thursday night that cuts off before Pence closed the door to the van with the empty boxes left inside. Kimmel laid into Pence, calling the video "the perfect metaphor for who he is and what he's doing: a big box of nothing delivering another box of nothing."
Other critics of Pence were quick to pile on.
"I see Mike Pence is full of shit as usual" James Carville, a veteran Democratic strategist, tweeted.