5 Questions for Mike Pence Ahead of His Atlanta Photo-op

ATLANTA — Today, Mike Pence is traveling to Atlanta to speak at a Faith & Freedom Coalition Policy Conference, just one day after the first presidential debate in which Donald Trump refused to provide Americans with any plan on how he would protect people with pre-existing conditions.

Even as complications from COVID-19, like lung scarring and heart damage, could become the next deniable pre-existing condition, Trump is moving forward with a lawsuit to eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act. 

“Trump’s continued attacks on health care fly in the face of the values Georgians of faith hold dear,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Nikema Williams. “For we are taught we must always look after the most vulnerable among us, including the poor and sick. Georgians will not be fooled into supporting a president who breaks his promises and fails to uphold values he claims to have — he has lost support in the state and come November 3rd, Georgians of faith will vote him out of office.” 

So as Pence comes to Atlanta to try and spin the Trump administration’s record to Georgians of faith, he should start by answering these five questions: 

1. The Trump administration is fighting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would strip health coverage away from 1.8 million Georgians with pre-existing conditions.  The Trump administration still has not come up with a detailed replacement plan. Why hasn’t Trump delivered on his promise to “come up with a plan that’s far better and far less money” in the midst of a global health crisis when millions are losing their employer-sponsored health insurance? 

2. 200,000 people are dead. Seven million are infected in the US. We have 4% of the world population and 20% deaths. Trump recently said that “we’re rounding the corner,” while you said “The American people should anticipate that cases will rise in the days ahead.” Which is it, and why should Georgians believe Trump when he’s already lied about the dangers posed by COVID-19? 

3. According to a recent study, Black Georgians are dying at a higher rate from COVID-19 than whites across all age groups, sometimes at three or four times the rate for whites. Why hasn’t Trump come up with a plan to address these public health disparities? 

4. Last night, Trump refused to disavow white supremacists, even telling a far-right extremist group to “stand back and stand by.” Today, here in Atlanta, can you disavow white supremacy, and tell us what Trump meant by “stand back and stand by”? 

5. A new report by The Atlantic details how former aides said they’ve heard Trump privately ridicule conservative religious leaders, dismiss faith groups with cartoonish stereotypes, and deride rites and doctrines valued by many of his voters. What is your reaction to this reporting, which alleges that Trump called pastors “hustlers?”

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