Mike Pence’s NFL Walkout Last Year Cost Taxpayers $325,000

Mike Pence got a lot of attention last year when he walked out of a football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers after some players took a knee during the National Anthem.

He even wrote on Twitter at the time, “I left today’s Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.”

But apparently that move cost tax payers $325,000, according to newly released documents from the Department of Homeland Security obtained by the Huffington Post. 

The costs included $64,637.88 for hotel rooms for Mike’s security with additional $8,877.91 noted on the document titled LRC Air/Rail Detail Report by Project Code, which according to the Huffington Post is most likely related to further travel expenses.

Additionally, around $250,000 was spent to operate Air Force Two, and as Mike arrived to the game, temporary walkways were placed in downtown Indianapolis, which added another $2,368 on the total.

An aid for the Vice President had also told CNN the trip was in the works for quite some time as he wanted to watch former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning be honored. But the dates on the documents suggest the visit was quickly put together, and according to the Huffington Post, the walkways, rented by the Alleen Company, a tent rental service based in Cincinnati, Ohio were ordered the Friday before the game.

All this leads to the conclusion that the “walk out” was staged. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mike Pence (@mike.pence) on