Former Mike Pence Adviser Says Donald Trump ‘Didn’t Care’ About COVID-Stricken Cruise Ship

A former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence has said Donald Trump didn’t care about people suffering from COVID-19 on board a cruise ship near the start of the pandemic.

Olivia Troye, a national security adviser who was on the White House coronavirus task force and was Pence’s lead staffer, recalled the events surrounding the Grand Princess in tweets on Wednesday.

At least 122 passengers and crew eventually tested positive for COVID, according to The Guardian. Although the outbreak on the ship was announced by Pence on March 6, those on board were not allowed to disembark for three days amid reports that President Trump was unwilling to let the infections add to the total U.S. virus numbers.

“One yr ago today-the #Covid pandemic was underway,” Troye wrote, alongside a photo of herself attending a meeting with Trump and Pence.

“He [Trump] walked in & hijacked this mtg.(Not my best poker face.) It was the day after the cruise ship had finally docked in Oakland.

“Myself & so many others were working nonstop. American lives were in danger. #Trump didn’t care.”

The Grand Princess docked at Oakland, California, on March 9, allowing crew and passengers to disembark. They were then transferred to federal facilities for a 14-day quarantine.

Troye’s tweet also included an excerpt from a Washington Post article that quoted Trump talking about the situation on the ship. The Post report also noted that the former president handed management of the COVID-19 crisis to Pence. The newspaper would later report that Trump wanted to protect the cruise industry from any fallout from the virus.

“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump told journalists on March 7. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”

Troye’s tweet about the Grand Princess was part of a trio of posts recalling major events in her life over the past two years. She also highlighted the fact that her mother had received the COVID-19 vaccine one year after the meeting with Trump and Pence.

“Today-a year later-my mom got her 2nd dose of the #Covid vaccine,” Troye wrote. “We are grateful. We know many families have suffered & have lost loved ones. Next year-Here’s to hope! But I will say this-Elections have consequences, especially during a crisis. Please don’t ever forget this.”

Troye has become an outspoken critic of former President Trump, making media appearances and revealing details about the administration’s handling of the pandemic.

A lifelong Republican, Troye endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election and has called him “the right person in office with the right tone during a crisis.”