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As she confronted the President over the problem, things got tense quickly.

Then Mike Pence spoke up. The Vice President deescalated the confrontation by saying he would personally follow up with Lujan Grisham. Within 30 minutes of the call ending, the first-term Democratic governor got a private phone call from Pence, according to an aide for Lujan Grisham, who said the call went a long way toward engendering some goodwill.

But in the three weeks since, Pence has largely risen to the occasion. White House officials have been reassured to have Pence in charge, and he's gotten mostly good marks from governors and public health officials he's worked with. That includes some of the President's most strident political opponents, many of whom have been impressed by Pence's communicativeness and responsiveness.

"I think it had a great impact on kind of focusing the mind," a senior White House official said. "It's the Vice President of the United States at the head of the table."

Pence and his team initially struggled to rally the White House staff to what was quickly becoming the top priority. With outgoing White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney all-but powerless to lead, Pence's chief of staff Marc Short turned to someone with more influence and firepower than the vice president himself: Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, to mixed results.

Still, Pence's leadership on coronavirus is undoubtedly the most high-profile moment of his vice presidency and has been a shot in the arm for his political standing. Long seen as a bit player in the daily drama of the White House, Pence has largely been content in his role as loyal sidekick, allowing for no daylight with Trump as he collects the trust of Trump's loyal political base.

But now, the former Indiana governor with indisputable presidential ambitions finds himself in his most presidential role to date, particularly has Trump has ceded the spotlight. One of the most visible impacts Pence has had is his decision to bring back the daily press briefings, which had vanished at the White House over the past year. It's all part of what Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller said is the Vice President's "mission" to provide transparency amid this crisis.

During his near-daily appearances at the White House briefing room podium, Pence has exuded qualities that aren't exactly Trump's strong-suit: calm, organized, collaborative.

"I do think that Americans see him probably in a different role than they've seen him before. It's a reassuring leadership role," a senior administration official said. "And he's been able to communicate to the American people with a calming presence."

Working with governors

More than anyone, the nation's governors -- who are all dealing most directly with containment and surveillance of the virus -- have had a front-row seat to Pence's leadership.

"I think quite honestly one of the smartest moves, one of the best things the President did was put Mike Pence in charge of this operation," said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and the chairman of the National Governors Association.

"The Vice President speaks with more clarity and more directness. You can tell he's leading the team," said Hogan. "The Vice President just knows more detail."

Pence has also helped improve relations with some of the country's Democratic governors who, while not fans of Trump, have forged a basic understanding with the Vice President, a former governor himself.

That's been particularly notable with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, who has been one of the Trump administration's most outspoken critics over the response to the virus. The relationship between Pence and Cuomo has been fairly positive, particularly after the two met on Feb. 28 and testing in New York was rolled out, according to a senior aide to Cuomo.

Pence has primarily viewed his role as two-fold, a senior administration official said: marshaling a whole-of-government effort from the inside while also serving as the public and reassuring face of the government response.

Pence aides also tout his longstanding relationship with Trump -- forged over weekly lunches and a track record of unfailing loyalty -- as key to Pence's effectiveness. During the coronavirus epidemic, a senior administration official said Trump and Pence speak multiple times a day, with Pence becoming a two-way vector for information between Trump and the task force.

"His job is to bring the decisions -- the important ones -- to the President," the official said.

Still limited by Trump

Even so, some officials say Trump's own off-the-cuff remarks in recent weeks have undermined Pence's image as a commanding leader of the task force.

For Democrats on Capitol Hill, Pence's role as the head of the coronavirus task force has been seen as more as a conduit of information than the person in charge. Multiple Democrats who spoke with CNN said Pence's office has been responsive to questions and getting information to offices when pressed, but that ultimately Pence had been undermined by the President's shifting messages.

"Senators appreciate what the Vice President is doing," one Democratic congressional aide told CNN, noting that at a recent lunch, the Vice President and his team stuck around for roughly 45 minutes fielding questions on coronavirus.

But the problem has often been one of mixed signals and insufficient follow-through, say aides close to Democratic state and federal officials. Even the aide to Lujan Grisham told CNN that Pence's call back on testing materials Monday was atypical of the Trump administration's interaction with governors.

"There's not always follow-through," the aide said Tuesday. "But yesterday there was."

Behind closed doors, top officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci and HHS Secretary Alex Azar say Pence has done a good job communicating the herculean task ahead, but aides say at times those comments have been dwarfed by something the President says hours later.

"Mr. Pence has a really uncanny ability to make you feel like your concerns are registering without him doing anything about it," said the Democratic congressional aide. "Like everything with this administration and so many senators learned this with the shutdown, nobody speaks for the President except for the President himself."

CNN's Kristen Holmes and Ali Zaslav contributed to this story.

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Long a bit player, Pence makes the most of his lead role in coronavirus response - CNN

Mike Pence, Opinion contributor Published 3:15 a.m. ET March 18, 2020 | Updated 10:31 a.m. ET March 18, 2020

When people ask how to protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19, one of the first suggestions from doctors is washing your hands. Here are the do's and don'ts. USA TODAY

The American people have already pulled together in so many ways in response to this virus, just as weve always done during other challenging times.

In the fight against the coronavirus, the Trump administration is not just taking a whole of government approach, but a whole of America approach.

Weve worked seamlessly with state and local leaders from both political parties. Since January, weve held 36 briefings with more than 15,000 state, localand tribal leaders from every state and territory in America. And that is in addition to thousands of individual conversations with state, local, and tribal officials.

A vaccine for the coronavirus has already begun a phase 1 clinical trial. The president has dramatically expanded access to telemedicinefor seniors on Medicare. And the Health and Human Services Department is collaborating with Johnson &Johnson to develop treatments for coronavirus infections, while actively soliciting proposals for other medical products to help combat the virus.

The risk of serious illness for the average American remains low. But the risk is heavily weighted to the elderly with underlying health conditions.

Now is a critical time. As the president said on Monday, over the next two weeks, there are actions that every American can and should take to help us slow the spread of the coronavirus. If we succeed in limiting the number of new cases, then we can dedicate more resources to the most vulnerable and save lives.

As the president said, if you or anyone in your household is sick, then please stay home. The elderly and those with serious health conditions should also stay home and stay away from other people, even if they do not have symptoms of the coronavirus.

Vice President Mike Pence greets Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, left, as Pence arrives, Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.(Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)

No one should visit a nursing home, retirement homeor long-term care facility unless to provide necessary care. All Americans should avoid unnecessary travel, restaurants, bars, public food courtsand gathering in groups of more than 10 people. Kids should stay home from school, and Americans who do not work in our critical infrastructure like health care or pharmaceuticals should work from home.

Its always a good idea to practice common sense to protect your health and the health of your family, but its especially important right now. Use good hygiene. Wash your hands, especially after touching frequently used surfaces like doorknobs.

Use disinfectant on frequently used items and surfaces. Avoid touching your face. If you have to sneeze, then use a tissue or the inside of your elbow.

These steps might seem small, but they can make a big difference for your family, your communityand our country. Stopping the spread of the coronavirus over these next two weeks can prevent many more cases in the future and even save the lives of those at risk.

More: FDA commissioner: Be wary of anyone claiming they can cure COVID-19. Talk to your doctor.

The president and I are deeply proud that the American people have already pulled together in so many ways in response to this virus, just as weve always done during other challenging times in our history. The president and I have been especially pleased to see churches and businesses come forward to help those in need. We have personally met with leaders from the manufacturing, cruiseline, airlineand tourism industries, and many more. On a daily basis, Americas CEOs have been calling us to ask how they can help.

In the weeks ahead, President Trump and this administration will continue to take strong action to protect the American people, and we will continue to build on the partnerships that weve forged with state and local governments, as well as with the scientific and business communities.

But for all of these important steps, there is no substitute for the action of the American people. If all of us can take these important steps requested by the president over the next two weeks, then we can be confident that we will get through this, and we will see a better, healthier future for America.

Mike Pence is the vice president of the United States andchairman of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

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Mike Pence: We need the American people's help to fight coronavirus now - USA TODAY

As chief of the Trump administrations coronavirus task force, Vice President Mike Pence has upped his profile plenty on the public radar. Mr. Pence is also getting good reviews.

Hes a daily, consistent presence on the airwaves. He provides useful info rather than random digressions. He leans on health and medical experts both at public events and behind the scenes, write Axios co-founders Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, in a review of this uncommon surge.

It is his presidential moment, they say.

Pence, 60, a likely contender for the Republican nomination in 2024, has become one of the most praised administration officials during the virus crisis, they note.

Tech author Scott Galloway said the vice president had done a reasonably good job while Politico media columnist Jack Shafer said Mr. Pence acted less like the coronavirus czar and more like a good old-fashioned White House press secretary. He was calm. He was direct. He was polite in face of shouted, competing questions.

Mr. Pences chief of staff Marc Short tells Axios that the vice president has an understanding of what people are looking for facts that are straightforward, not alarmist.

Most importantly, Pence seems on the level. The more Americans see of him, the more likely they are to believe what the administration says about this crisis, provided that Pences statements about the pandemic hold up over time, advises Paul Mirengoff, a columnist at Powerline.com.

REASSURING NEWS

Sixty-two percent of U.S. adults assess the strength of U.S. national defense as being about right, two points off the record-high 64% from 1990. About twice as many say U.S. defense is not strong enough (25%) as say it is stronger than it needs to be (12%), reports Gallup analyst Jeffrey M. Jones, who adds that the majority of Americans are also comfortable with the amount of military spending.

At a time when Americans are relatively satisfied with the strength of the U.S. military and the amount of military spending, 58% say the U.S. is No. 1 in the world militarily, writes Mr. Jones. See more numbers in the Poll du Jour at columns end.

A TEMPORARY TRUCE FOR GOP, DEMOCRATS?

As public alarm grows over the coronavirus health emergency, one veteran columnist has a simple panacea which could at least get the nation through the next month: Neutralize the bitter sparring between Democrats and President Trump.

Its time to do something about our national divide. A 30-day political cease-fire is reasonable and doable. We must take a break from the hate, writes New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin.

A month would be a good cooling-off period to allow the public-health emergency to take its rightful place at the top of the agenda without the distraction of personal sniping, which is especially demoralizing these days. In this environment, each attack smacks of pettiness and politics-as-usual. Partisanship has an important role in our enduring experiment with self-government, but not now. Now is the time for a united America to mobilize against a lethal scourge, he continues.

A 30-day cease-fire would allow the entire nation to focus on saving lives and preventing further disaster to the economy and jobs. There would be plenty of time later to resume the political hostilities before the November election, Mr. Goodwin advises. An agreement would be nice, but isnt necessary. All they need do is start behaving as Americans first and partisans second.

BORDERING ON INSANITY

In the wake of the pared-down Democratic presidential field, one GOP official has a reminder.

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are leading the Democrat Partys charge for open borders. And theyre sounding like the same person: Biden has promised to end illegal immigration detention across the board, and to not deport illegal immigrants who have committed felony-like offenses, points out Steve Guest, rapid response communications director for the Republican National Committee.

Bernie backs a moratorium on all deportations of illegal immigrants in the U.S. and says that it is not appropriate to deport illegal immigrants not following law in the U.S. And both Biden and Bernie support government health care for illegal immigrants. Bottom Line: While Bernie and Biden push for plans that would make the border crisis worse, President Trumps deal with Mexico has achieved results, Mr. Guest advises, citing a single Associated Press headline regarding the outcome of Mr. Trumps productive call to Mexico to help with the illegal immigration challenge:

AP exclusive: Border apprehensions drop for eight straight months.

HELPFUL DIVERSION

Just because coronavirus has you avoiding public spaces doesnt mean you cant get cultured from home, reports Fast Company analyst Lilly Smith, who shares all the details.

Google Arts & Culture has partnered with over 2,500 museums and galleries around the world, including Amsterdams Van Gogh Museum, Londons National Gallery, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The featured collections vary depending on the museum, but most include online exhibits, a street view that lets you explore inside the institution itself, as well as galleries of the artwork, where you can deep dive into paintings, Ms. Smith advises.

Find it all at Artsandculture.google.com/partner.

POLL DU JOUR

63% of U.S. adults say its important for the U.S. to be the No. 1 military force in the world; 86% of Republicans, 56% of independents and 45% of Democrats agree.

62% overall say the strength of the national defense is about right; 67% of Republicans, 64% of independents and 52% of Democrats agree.

58% overall say the U.S. has the No. 1 defense in the world; 75% of Republicans, 52% of independents and 46% of Democrats agree.

50% overall say U.S. defense spending is about right; 72% of Republicans, 42% of independents and 36% of Democrats agree.

41% overall say the U.S. is only one of several leading powers in the world; 25% of Republicans, 46% of independents and 53% of Democrats agree.

Source: A Gallup poll OF 1,028 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 3-16 and released Monday.

Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin

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Inside the Beltway: Gravitas: Mike Pence earns new respect from the media - The Washington TImes

The weakness of Donald Trumps response to the COVID-19 crisisthe weakness of Trumps characterwas captured in a response that Vice-President Mike Pence gave, on Thursday, to CNNs Alisyn Camerota. She noted that, within hours of Trumps address to the nation the previous night, the Administration had to issue clarifications: that the travel ban he had announced, which he said would apply to Europe except for the United Kingdom, cover a tremendous amount of trade and cargo, and have exemptions only for Americans who had undergone screening, would, in fact, not apply to cargo, cover only countries in the Schengen zone (a subset of European countries with limited border checks between them), and would also have exemptions for permanent residents and citizens immediate family members. Those are big clarifications. It was bad enough that Trumps actions were entirely inadequatehe didnt address problems with testing, for example. But it was stunning that he seemingly could not accurately explain his bad ideas. International financial markets began dropping as he spoke, and the inadequacy of his words and his Presidency became manifest. And so, Camerota asked Pence, Why the confusion?

I dont think there was confusion, Pence replied, blankly, loyally, absurdly. The President took another historic step, just like he did in January with China, to suspend all travel from Europe, Alisyn, for the next thirty days. Instead of explaining the Presidents confused remarks, Pence echoed them, adding to the muddle. Pence, it should be remembered, is not only the Vice-President but the nations dedicated coronavirus point manhis function is to cordinate and clarify and at least give the illusion of leadership. And yet it took another few sentences before he mentioned that there would be Americans coming homeso not a suspension of all travelafter being screened, followed by a reference to every returning American and legal resident, with a note that they would be asked to self-quarantine for fourteen days. But, a couple of minutes later, Pence again referred to suspending all travel for thirty days from Europe. Who coming from where is allowed or required to do what? The main thing to remember is that the President did something historic.

The incompetence and the sycophancy are connected. Pence delivers what Trump demands, even when Trump demands the pretense that COVID-19 will simply go away if people stop worrying about it. It wont. It is not just that Trump doesnt always have the very best people around him; he has too many people who seem to care only whether he is happy. Even people with great expertise spend too much time, at almost every public briefing, ritually noting his leadership. Such words are not confidence-inspiring. There have been reports that Pence at various points suggested that Trump take some practical actionsfor example, in managing the plight of a cruise shipand that Trump said no. Other officials have reportedly had similar experiences. But, as long as they do not publicly confront their boss or pressure him to take real action on a growing crisis, that only means so much. And Pence, for one, is not doing so; instead, he kept telling Camerota that what looked like haphazard moves were all part of the Presidents strategy, extolling him as a leader who took action. But someone very prominent in the Administration or the Republican leadership has to get angry, in a way that is demonstrative, dramatic, and even, for whoever it is, out of character.

Instead, Pence is not alone. He is behaving in a way that Republicans have come to regard as normal. They must engage in the increasingly farcical exercise of praise for Trump. Sometimes, as when they join him onstage at a rally, the main immediate damage may be to their self-respect. At others, as in the impeachment hearings, when Republican after Republican claimed that the President was an innocent victim of the deep state, the damage was to their duty to the Constitution. During a pandemic, the harm is not only to public health but to the countrys structure, as fissures in the health and social-welfare systems widen, exposing just how vulnerable many Americans arethe hundred thousand homeless children in New York Citys public schools, for exampleand a larger order breaks apart. (The damage may even be to their own health: Senators Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott are under self-quarantine, after mingling at a Mar-a-Lago event that included a Brazilian official who has now been confirmed as having COVID-19; Trump was also present but has so far neither been tested nor quarantined himself.) On Thursday, Senator Mitch McConnell, who has praised what he decided to call Trumps early, bold action on COVID-19, reportedly had to be pressured to delay a Senate recess until a COVID-19 relief bill was passed. And among Fox News commentators, as Dylan Byers notes, there is still outrage that some virus has the nerve to undermine Trump. Pence, speaking to Camerota, tried to pin the blame on Europe, which he said was the site of most new cases. What will he say when America wins that title?

One of the most mangled sections of Pences interview had to do with testing. He suggested that anyone who needed a test could get one just by going to a doctor, who would arrange oneor maybe that would happen soon, if not yet. When Camerota showed him figures suggesting that the number of tests completed was still just in the thousands, he said he thought that the information was wrong. But he refused to even estimate the right number. The mismanagement of testing, particularly as coronavirus was just reaching the United States, appears to have triggered a disaster. It remains shockingly hard for people to get testedtest kits and the chemical reagents needed for them are a scarce resourceeven when they have symptoms and known contact with COVID-19 patients. According to the COVID Tracking Project, in which The Atlantic is a partner, the tally of tests completed was nearing sixteen thousand five hundred on Friday; South Korea has conducted more than ten times as many. It is a failing. Lets admit it, Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, of the U.S.s testing system, at a hearing of the House Oversight Committee. Trump will never admit it.

The testing situation is such a shambles that even some Republicans have begun to acknowledge it. Senator Lamar Alexander called it a serious deficiency, according to Politico, and Senator James Lankford said that the idea that people could simply go and get testedwhich Trump has pushedwas just wrong. Senator Mitt Romney (who might actually be good at managing this sort of thing) said that the situation is frustrating. The question is whether that consciousness of failure will lead to a breaking point in the Republicans system of obedience to Trump. This is not a matter of using the coronavirus crisis to bring him down; its a question of the Presidents party really pushing him to do what he can to stop the virus from bringing the country down. And if he wont, they can start voting with Democrats in Congress, and give support to governors and other local officialsand, most fundamentally, they can be honest with the public. Perhaps Republicans could even nominate someone else at the convention this August (if, given the fears of COVID-19, its still held). That seems far-fetched, but so, a month ago, did trading being halted on the New York Stock Exchange, campuses closing, Broadway shutting down, major-league seasons getting suspended, and parts of the city of New Rochelle being cordoned off. Unimaginable scenes at overwhelmed hospitals may be ahead.

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Mike Pence and the Farce of Trusting Donald Trump on the Coronavirus - The New Yorker

Vice President Mike Pence ducked a question Thursday about how many coronavirus tests have been carried out after the nations top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci, said the dearth of testing remains a failing of the nations battle against COVID-19.

Pence, whom Trump put in charge of the White House task force on the virus, was pressed on CNN about why the number of tests reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has decreased since March 5even as cases rise amid urgent calls for more testing.

Pence speculated that the CDC was missing tests being carried out by states. Asked, then, what the total was, he responded: Well, I would leave that to the experts. (Check out the video above.) Testing is critical to isolate those with coronavirus symptoms, even mild ones, in particular to protect more vulnerable people who could die of COVID-19.

Pence conceded earlier on CBS that the Trump administration is still working to cut red tape holding up testing.We are going to continue to work in every way to clear out, as the president said, any red tape, any barriers to testing that might have existed at the Food and Drug Administration, he said on CBS This Morning.

Pence had vowed earlier this month that testing would be ramped up but admitted last week that it continued to be outstripped by demand.

The COVID-19 Tracking Project by The Atlanticand a data team, which combines most state tests, estimates 10,000 people have been tested in the U.S. South Korea has tested more than 230,000 people. (Two specimens per person are usually tested, according to The Atlantic, which is why test numbers are larger than the number of people tested.)

Dr. Matt McCarthy, an infectious disease expert and physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, early this month blasted the lack of available tests as a national scandal and complained that he had to plead for tests for sick people in the emergency room. The testing issue should have been addressed immediately in December as news of the coronavirus first emerged, McCarthy said, adding that the capacity for testing is increasing but that critical hurdles still remainto obtaining the tests.

Initial tests developed by the CDC were flawed and worked in only a handful of labs. In addition, they were initially available only for people returning from China or for those who had contact with an individual known to be ill with coronavirus.

President Donald Trump insisted at an appearance a week ago at the CDC that anyone that needs a test for coronavirus could get it. On Thursday, he said frankly, the testing has been very smooth.

Trump also claimed that everyone coming into the U.S. is tested. International travelers are observed for symptoms; their temperature may be taken with a non-contact thermometer, but theyre not tested for the virus.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Thursday that the shortage of testing is a failing.

The system is not really geared to what we need right now, he said. The idea of anybody getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it, were not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes.

Check out his testimony here:

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Mike Pence Won't Say How Many Coronavirus Tests Have Been Conducted - HuffPost