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Gov. Jared Polis Says He And Elected Officials Like Vice President Mike Pence Should Wear Masks

(CBS4) - Gov. Jared Polis appeared on CNN Wednesday morning to talk about the his decision to move from the stay-at-home order to the safer-at-home guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic. During the interview he talked about the importance of face masks and was asked what he thought about Vice President Mike Pence not wearing them while in public.

The governor met the vice president for the Air Force Academy graduation and Pence did not have a face covering, but Polis did.

Vice President Pence Speaks At Air Force Academy Graduation In Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis, left, speaks with Vice President Mike Pence as he arrives at Peterson Air Force Base before giving a graduation address at the Air Force Academy on April 18, 2020 in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

And Pence visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday and did not wear a face mask, despite that being policy.

When asked about the behavior, Polis said "As elected officials I think we have an additional responsibility, with the soapbox we have, to practice what we preach."

"I'm trying to be an ambassador for wearing masks. I walk to all my press conferences wearing a mask, take it off when I speak and I'm at the podium," Polis said.

"I think elected officials should be role models and wear masks because they can save lives and help us return to economic normalcy sooner rather than later."

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