Thread by @JuddLegum

1. MIKE PENCE is now in charge of coronavirus response & is vetting statements by scientists and experts.

This is incredibly dangerous.

Protecting hundreds of millions of Americans requires policy based on science.

Pence has consistently shown contempt for scientific facts.

2. On the House floor in 2002, Pence described it as an unproven theory that is not supported by the fossil record. He said scientists would eventually come around to intelligent design.

Asked in 2008 if he believed in evolution, Pence responded: "I can't say."

3. In 2000, Pence questioned whether smoking cigarettes was deadly: "Time for a quick reality check. Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill."

The link between cigarettes and cancer was established decades before.

4. In 2002, Pence said condoms are "a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted disease." This is contradicted by the CDC which says that condoms are "highly effective" in reducing STD transmission.

5. In a column on his campaign website in 2001, Pence called global warming a "myth" and falsely claimed that "the earth is actually cooler today than it was about 50 years ago."

6. Pence said that federal funds for HIV-prevention should only go to organizations that "provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior." In other words, conversion therapy, which is discredited junk science.

7. As Governor of Indiana, Pence blocked scientifically-proven needle exchange programs, leading to a massive outbreak of HIV. (He was forced to reverse course to control the outbreak, but not before a lot of damage was done.)

8. For more facts about the coronavirus and the administration's response, check out my newsletter, Popular Information.

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