Mike Pence became ‘nearly invisible’ out of fear of angering Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic: NYT

Donald Trump's legendary temper sidelined Mike Pence while the vice president was leading the administration's coronavirus task force, according to a bombshell new report in The New York Times.

"The decision to run the government's response out of the West Wing was made in the early days of the pandemic. The idea was to break down barriers between disparate agencies, assemble public health expertise and encourage quick and coordinated decision-making," the newspaper reported. "It did not work out like that, and by fall the consequences were clear."

The Times noted that Trump has "always tolerated if not encouraged clashes among subordinates," a tendency that frequently led to confusion within his administration, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some of the doctors on the task force, including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and Dr. Robert R. Redfield, were reluctant to show up in person at the White House, worried that the disdain there for mask wearing and social distancing would leave them at risk of infection," The Times reported. "Vice President Mike Pence was nominally in charge of the task force but was so cautious about getting crosswise with Mr. Trump as they battled for re-election that, in public at least, he became nearly invisible."

Read the full report.