Pence holds rally in Minnesota despite COVID-19 exposure
Wearing a mask as he took the stage on an airport tarmac in Hibbing, Minnesota, Pence returned to the campaign trail Monday despite his chief of staff and four others in his close orbit testing positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.
"Thank you so much for coming out on this blustery day. And looking out at this crowd, it’s pretty obvious to me the Iron Range is Trump country," Pence said on an afternoon where it was 25 degrees and lightly snowing.
He made no mention of the coronavirus outbreak among his inner circle. Pence’s office said he tested negative this morning for COVID-19.
In his remarks, Pence nodded to the imminent confirmation vote of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, but unlike at his rally in Florida Saturday, he did not indicate he will be in the Senate chamber this evening but on standby in case his vote is needed.
"When we're done, I'm gonna head back to Washington D.C., just in case they need my vote. But even if they don't, I'll make a prediction: before the day is over, Judge Amy Coney Barrett is going to be Justice Amy Coney Barrett," Pence said to applause.
There was a strong focus on the Iron Range during Pence’s remarks, telling families across the area that "our bridges and skyscrapers soar because of iron that comes out of the Iron Range."
In 2016, Trump lost Minnesota by only 2 points and has been making a push to try to flip the state this year. Pence acknowledged how tight that race was and asked supporters to keep making a final push in these final days.
"I’ll always believe the greatest form of media in this country is not your TV networks, it's not your big newspapers, it's not even your social media. I think it’s word of mouth. I think you know we came so close in Minnesota, right? Last time around because people were talking to each other. I mean we made history in this country in 2016," Pence said. "And you got to go do it again, you got to deliver this time again."
Pence put his mask back on when he wrapped his remarks and ran back to his plane for Washington.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez