Against nCoV successfully, Vice President Mike Pence's political career will flourish, but failure will put him at a dead end.

Since being assigned by President Donald Trump to lead the government's anti-Covid-19 effort, Vice President Pence has maintained a consistent attitude and tough appearance. However, behind that was an uneasy truth. If successful, he will be portrayed as a hero, but if failed, this will be a fatal blow to his political career.

Many close friends warned Pence of the importance of this mission. Some encouraged him and gave him advice from afar. Others take advantage of Twitter and the opportunity to appear on television to try to alleviate concerns about Covid-19's threat to public health and economic instability.

But no one can deny the pressure that Vice President Pence is facing. "It is like a war. Preventing the disease is a vital task, you are not allowed to make mistakes," former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich said.

Gingrich on March 1 sent a letter to Pence, praising the "discipline" he showed in an interview about nCoV, in which the US Vice President insisted he always put public safety on top. head. But Gingrich also acknowledges the political risks posed to Pence.

"If done well, he will become a national representative. If he does not do well, he will become a faint figure. He knows that. His team knows what it is." there, "Gingrich stressed.

After a series of new confirmed cases of nCoV over the weekend, Pence on March 2 reassured the public about how the government responded and coordinated with local authorities to deal with the disease. In the afternoon of the same day, he left the meeting in the Situation Room, convened a meeting of the anti-epidemic task force and postponed plans to join President Trump at the North Carolina campaign.

He stayed in Washington to hold a press conference nationwide to ease public anxiety. He appeared just hours after media reported that four more Americans had died from nCoV, bringing the country's total death toll to six.

"Although we receive bad news today, please keep in mind that the risk of Americans with nCoV is still very low, according to the assessment of experts working with the government," Pence said. "The president said we are ready. But more than that, this is a total effort."

"People need to know that there will be things beyond the control of Vice President Pence and the whole government, but as long as they are transparent to the public, to parliament and to the governors, I think political risk. very low, "said a former White House official.

Since Pence was tasked with directing the anti-Covid-19 reaction, many critics have accused him of manipulating public health officials by asking them to work with his office before make a separate statement.

The New York Times last week reported that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, once told others that "The White House has instructed him not to publish anything (about Covid). -19) without permission ".

Fauci later stated in a press conference that he "was never banned from speaking out," and said the New York Times story "misrepresented what actually happened".

Pence, back in 2015, when he was governor of Indiana, led an effort to put an end to the HIV epidemic. According to a former White House official, his election to the position of anti-Covid-19 leader was not because of personal experience but because he was the only cabinet official trusted by President Trump to become a "person". honest connection between the ministers ".

According to the official, Pence proved to Trump that he could settle the disagreements and appease the skeptics after he helped the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement passed by Congress earlier this year.

However, success in the Trump administration does not mean the position is guaranteed. For example, in April last year, the White House boss fired a series of US Department of Homeland Security officials after appearing negative news regarding how the government controlled the wave of illegal immigration, although Ministry officials insist they have done everything in their power.

Even Pence, a loyal celebrity, struggled to quell rumors last year about the US president's intention to remove him from the race to the White House in 2020, after Trump at the time first ask their friends what they think about their deputies.

If everything goes well, Pence will strengthen his position, help him fly further on political career, even towards the presidency. But if the epidemic worsens, as the number of virus infections continues to rise, according to people close to Pence, politics will be far-fetched for him.

"The most important thing for Pence is the health and safety of the American people," the former White House official said. "He wanted to do the right thing and never thought of 2024."