On Thursday night, Jimmy Kimmel ripped Vice President Mike Pence, asserting that a video showing Pence carrying empty boxes to a rehabilitation and healthcare center was an attempt by Pence to “pretend,” adding that it was “the perfect metaphor for who he is and what he’s doing. A big box of nothin’ delivering another box of nothin’.”
One problem: the video had been deceptively edited, as the complete video shows Pence at the Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Alexandria, Virginia, delivering boxes full of personal protective equipment (PPE) from FEMA.
Kimmel stated:
Here he is, with no mask on, wheeling boxes of PPEs into a health care center and doing his best to lift them. What a hero. (laughing) Just barely in the door. And since it was going so well, and also because he didn’t realize he had a mic on, Magic Mike decided to keep it going. Listen in closely here:
The video shows someone saying, “Those are empty, sir. We’re good to go.” Pence responds, “Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the camera?” Someone answers, “Absolutely.”
Kimmel continued, “Mike Pence pretending to carry empty boxes of PPEs into a hospital is the perfect metaphor for who he is and what he’s doing. A big box of nothin’ delivering another box of nothin’.”
Here’s Kimmel:
Mike Pence caught on hot mic delivering empty boxes of PPE for a PR stunt. pic.twitter.com/IduvGhiPwj
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) May 8, 2020
But here’s the complete video:
After all the boxes had been delivered, Pence stood outside and delivered a moving message to the staff of the center, saying:
Well, hey, everybody, I’m Vice President Mike Pence and it’s great to be here. Great to be here at the Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. On the behalf of your president, on the behalf of all us on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, frankly, on behalf of a grateful nation, it’s my great privilege to be here today and help deliver some additional personal protective equipment. You all are receiving one of the first installments, you might be glad to know, of PPE that’s gonna be going to every nursing home in America. 15,400 nursing homes will be receiving gowns and gloves and masks: all the personal protective equipment that I had the privilege of delivering here today.
He continued:
I’ve got with me the head of the Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services as well as members of our White House Coronavirus Task Force team; we just couldn’t resist the opportunity to come and do a little bit of heavy lifting, but most importantly just to say thank you. Thank you for the work that you do; caring for and loving our grandparents, aunts and uncles, moms and dads. I just reflected a moment ago, and yesterday when we celebrated National Nurses Day in the White House, I said yesterday that the American people really do understand that during this time of the coronavirus epidemic, that those of you that wear the uniform of nurses, and to the same extent, our doctors and other healthcare workers, you’re not just providing world-class healthcare that every one of us would want our family to have, but we also understand that you’re filling in for family. We know the emotional weight that’s placed on you. We see the way that all of you here at Woodbine and all of you at nursing homes around the country have stepped up is truly inspiring, and I hope today’s delivery is just one more piece of evidence of the profound gratitude the American people feel to each and every one of you.
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