White House insists Pence got applause after video shows total silence

The Trump White House inserted an applause break into the official transcript of a speech Mike Pence gave in Germany — when there was definitely no applause.

Pence was embarrassed in a viral video of his speech, given before the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Thursday, that showed his introduction of Trump being met with deafening silence.

“I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump,” Pence told the room, pausing for applause.

There was none. Instead there was an uncomfortably long moment of awkward silence— a reflection of the world’s hostility to Trump’s highly unpopular presidency.

However, someone on the White House press team seems to be trying to cover for Pence. The official White House transcript of Pence’s remarks reads “(Applause)” — during the moment when Pence very noticeably got no applause.

Pence’s press flack embarrassed her boss even further during an exchange with NBC reporter Katy Tur on Twitter.

Tur posted a link to the video and noted, “You need to watch this to fully take in how dramatic the silence was. … It underscores why so many bipartisan members of Congress were there to reassure allies Americans still care about alliances.”

“This just isn’t true,” replied Alyssa Farah, Pence’s press secretary. “He received numerous applauses throughout the speech — particularly when he reaffirmed the US’s commitment to NATO.”

Whether or not Pence got applause at other points in the speech doesn’t change what we can all see in the viral video, which makes clear that the international audience does not have warm feelings about Trump or his administration.

And it’s no wonder, given the mess Trump has made of international relations. When he isn’t rolling over for autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, he is attacking close American allies like Germany, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom.

He has walked America away from key global agreements on climate change and nuclear disarmament while acting like a buffoon on the international stage.

The reception Pence got in Germany is a reflection of the low esteem that the world has for Trump. Everybody can see Pence’s humiliation, and no amount of lying — no matter how elaborate or official — will make up for it.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.