Late Night hosts rip into Mike Pence for ignoring order to wear face mask at hospital

US vice president was condemned for ignoring strict rules about protective gear put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus

Late-night hosts have taken Mike Pence to task after the US vice president was pictured on a tour of the Mayo Clinic this week while ignoring the facility’s policy that masks should be worn by all visitors.

A video clip shot by a journalist at the visit, showed that everyone else around the vice president was wearing a mask.

CNBC reported that Mr Pence was also not wearing a mask when he greeted officials at the airport in Rochester, before travelling to the clinic.​

TV stars including Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah were among the presenters to rip into Pence, pointing out that it seemed he had wilfully ignored the guidelines after they were made clear to him.

“Oh my God. You are the head of the coronavirus task force. And you’re in the hospital, and you’re the only one without a mask,” Colbert said.

“It’s not like the vice president didn’t know. The hospital has a strict policy requiring all visitors to wear masks and tweeted after Pence’s visit: ‘Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today.’

“Wow, that must have been harsh for Mike Pence to get roasted by his idol: mayo,” he quipped.

Trevor Noah said of Pence's failure to wear a mask: “Yes, at the Mayo Clinic, which is totally against the rules. In fact, it seems like they told him to and he said he didn’t want to wear a mask. So, I guess he was just like, ‘It’s OK, everybody. I don’t believe in science.’”

Revealing a photo of Pence in a full S&M leather face mask, Noah joked: “We know you have one at home.”

“I don’t know — maybe Mike Pence just wants to catch it already and be put out of his misery,” Jimmy Kimmel suggested.

In a now deleted tweet, the clinic said that officials had told Mr Pence prior to his visit that a face mask is a requirement at the facility.

“Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today,” the tweet read.

Pence has since claimed he didn't wear a mask because wanted to "look patients in the eye", sparking widespread ridicule.