Donald Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, is once again under scrutiny. According to the New York Times, information about Pence’s response to an HIV outbreak in Indiana has many people worried about his judgment.
Officials are reporting that Pence was contacted by Sheriff Dan McClain to get his opinion on a growing epidemic in the area. HIV was spreading rapidly through the state close to their Kentucky border, and officials were looking for a solution. Most of the new infections were among intravenous drug users. The sharing of needles was leading to several new infections. At the time, the state had a ban on needle exchange programs. Though McClain was not a fan of these programs himself, reports are saying that he too felt that lifting the ban was the only way to immediately slow the spread of the disease. The community waited for Pence’s decision, but it took a very long time to come.
The New York Times is also reporting that over 100 people were infected in the state of Indiana during this time period. This is a large increase in the number of new infections the state has ever received in such a short period of time. Officials are also saying that public health professionals and state professionals urged Pence to lift the ban, and quickly to slow the spread. Some believe that if he were to have dressed the issue earlier, then some of the new infections could have been prevented. Pence is reported to have taken the time to pray and reflect on the issue before making the decision to finally lift the ban. When it was lifted, the number of new infections decreased by a huge amount.
The news of this story is very troubling to some. Pence is a very conservative politician. This is one of the many reasons he was chosen to be Trump’s running mate. However, news of stories like this does show some flaws in the decisions Pence has made. Because of governing US documents, some people of the public expect politicians to separate religion and their decisions regarding the public. This also shows a bit of delay in decision-making in times of crisis for the potential VP. That is not a good trait to have in times of national crisis. This information coming to the light once again will definitely influence the opinions many voters have of Pence.
