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Leana Wen, the past head of Planned Parenthood, also tweeted Wednesday: \"As Governor of Indiana, an HIV/AIDS epidemic flourished until he allowed public health -- not ideology -- to direct policy & response.\"

A different researcher on the 2018 Yale University study said in a tweet that Pence's slow response \"fueled an HIV outbreak in his state.\" Noting that Pence is not a doctor or scientist, Trump \"made the choice of putting someone absolutely not up to the task to this crucial position. It endangers us all. This isn't a Republican or Democratic issue,\" Greg Gonsalves tweeted.

It's not the only public health issue on which Pence is facing criticism.

As late as 2000, Pence also downplayed the risk of smoking, as evident by an op-ed, unearthed by Vox, on his congressional website: \"Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn’t kill.\"

\"PHOTO:
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks at the beginning of a news conference with members of the coronavirus task force, including Vice President Mike Pence in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Feb. 26, 2020.
>

At Wednesday's briefing, Trump emphasized that Pence would not be a coronavirus \"czar\" as \"he is a part of the administration,\" but he is expected to be the face of the response.

While some have speculated that the move to appoint Pence is a blow to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Azar called the move \"genius\" in a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

As he testified at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing Thursday, Azar was asked by Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., if the coronavirus task force will follow the advice of medical experts, citing what he called Pence's \"slow walk\" in responding to the 2015 HIV outbreak in his state.

\"As you know, one of the largest outbreaks of another virus, HIV, occurred in Indiana. It was the result of critical testing sites and clinics being closed due to cuts to state funding. When it was determined that the cases were spiking due to needle sharing, then Governor Pence failed to heed the advice of medical experts. He really did slow walk the needed public health response,\" Panetta said. \"Can you assure us, Mr. Secretary, that HHS will follow the advice of leading medical experts and not delay implementation?\"

\"I always follow the advice of my career officials in these matters,\" Azar replied. \"I trust them completely.\"

ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.

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