Vice president Mike Pence triggered an avalanche of mockery for telling a mostly maskless crowd at a Florida rally on Tuesday that Democrats want to make “poor people more comfortable.”
“When we cut taxes, roll back regulations, and advance freedom, their agenda is higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine, a Green New Deal, and abortion on demand,” Pence told the clrowd before adding: “They want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable.”
Twitter users quickly made hay of the comments. An account called Accidentally Left-Wing, which collects such gaffes, picked up the comments with a cheeky, “Indeed”.
“I guess since democrats want people with $18,445,342,001 to pay taxes so they have – with no investment return included – $18,444,342,001, and also want people not paid a living wage to get a living wage, @VP is right,” journalist Kurt Eichenwald wrote.
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People for Bernie, an activist group dedicating to continuing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sander’s democratic socialist movement, wrote that Pence’s speech was a “good message”.
Pence’s description of progressive goals was “exactly” correct, author and commentator Anand Giridharadas tweeted.
“Yes, and what’s wrong with making poor people more comfortable?” asked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen denounced Pence for suggesting the government should not prioritize the wellbeing of Americans who are struggling financially during a pandemic, including an estimated 50 million people expected to face food insecurity this year.
“You have to be all sorts of twisted to think ‘making poor people more comfortable’ is a bad thing,” tweeted the group.
Indeed pic.twitter.com/Ss3rF7HYor
— accidentally left-wing (@LeftAccidental) December 22, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence: "[Democrats] want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable." pic.twitter.com/LXB8pvKSR8
— The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2020
