Nope, nobody sick, everybody’s fine. In fact, nobody here but us chickens and none of us have red eyes — oh, wait.
Mike Pence was going to travel to Indiana today where he and Mother were going to vote early. But for undisclosed reasons, the trip has been cancelled — and the White House felt the need to say, “nobody’s sick” maybe after all the brou ha ha over Pence’s pink eye, since that frequently accompanies COVID-19.
Vice President Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence had been scheduled to travel to Indianapolis to cast their ballots by early voting. The trip had been on the books for at least 9 days. The White House provided NO EXPLANATION for Pence’s sudden change of plans.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 8, 2020
I was scheduled to travel with Pence tomorrow as the print pooler. Ahead of his JBA departure, press traveling with him were scheduled for COVID tests at 7am. As of 35 minutes ago, the VP’s office was still communicating with reporters about logistics for the morning.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 8, 2020
“Nobody’s sick” is an interesting choice of words for the White House this week.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 8, 2020
Question: if this is just a matter of postponing for convenience, why would the VP’s office make the change so suddenly and without immediate explanation at a moment when the White House is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak that’s infected the president and dozens of others?
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 8, 2020
Pence: agent of chaos?
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 8, 2020
First, I don’t know if you can even believe a declaration that a diagnosis is negative from this White House. It’s not exactly a high credibility zone these days.
Second, and this is very plausible — the Great Trumpkin’s condition may have worsened and Pence needs to stand by to take the reins. The timing for a crash from dexamethasone would be right about now, three days after returning to the White House.
Like Trump told the Proud Boys, stand by.
I’m expecting *rump to crash hard, followed by Pence.
I’m actually expecting Pence to go first. Nobody gives two craps about him.
Why don’t just ask his pet fly on the wall? Or maybe, we can bug the bug.
Either I was right and he’s infected (the fly will not leave my mind) or Pelosi’s 25th Amendment talk is spurring him back to Washington. I’m not seeing a third choice here.
This is the Über-Twilight Zone. We are watching a movie made twenty years in the future, now.
And the bible sayth: flies have a completely different meaning. They represent everything that is bad. Some even consider them descendants of the devil. Flies represent the worst evil and personification of the worst on our planet. Pontius Pence beware!
Tomorrow will be fascinating!
for some value of fascinating that is going to be rough on everyone else.
Yes, I’m very much looking forward to what Pelosi has to say.
Another possibility, quite Trumpian in nature just popped into my head. Trump had to have become award of both the fly thing and the pink eye. Too many stories with close up pictures and memes making fun of Trump were on social media and I’m sure Twitter for Trump not to know. He’s juiced up on roids too so it’s not a stretch to imagine him blowing his stack and calling Pence in for a royal butt chewing. One that would have shaken Pence up pretty badly. Also, the ever media conscious Trump would know cameras with spy satellite picture taking capability telephoto lenses will be taking close up shots of Pence’s eyes. Yes, pink eye can be a symptom of Covid, but so can bacteria (in such cases antibiotics can help clear it up quickly) and viruses, but sometimes it’s just eye irritation for any number of mundane reasons. Pence no doubt had to see a specialist called to the WHMU, or one was sent to the Naval Observatory for an exam. IF it turns out it was only inflamation then keeping Pence out of sight for a couple of days might be all there is to it. If more serious, and a bacterial infection then perhaps by the weekend Pence can be back out there. That of course assumes Trump didn’t tear so many chunks out of Pence’s hide ripping him for looking “weak” and “stupid” (like he’d be able to feel a fly landing on his freaking hair) and “Mother” can put Pence’s wounded psyche back together again! Or maybe Trump is freaked by 25th Amendment talk and wants Pence close by under Keith Schiller’s watchful eye to stop any such effort in its tracks. That makes the most sense to me – recalling Schiller from the RNC to head up a very special detail to monitor Pence, and getting the head of DHS to order the Secret Service to allow it!
It’s a thoughtful theory…but I’m still betting on COVID. If he didn’t catch it before now, he will after the ass-chewing.
None of them are getting tested as much as the WH wants us to believe. If Pence *doesn’t* have the virus, he’s sure pushing his luck.