Vice President Mike Pence took a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on Tuesday and spoke at a roundtable discussion with staff and Gov. Tim Walz, who praised the Trump administration and Pence for their efforts to work with governors during the coronavirus outbreak.

“I can tell you that the vice president spends countless hours on the phone with governors every week, he’s there to pick up the phone when we call,” Walz said. “I want to thank you and the president.” He added:

I think there’s a bond with the governors because of a former governor. When you sit in the seat and the responsibility that comes with it, and so I can tell you, you coming back to Minnesota, coming to listen to about what we’re doing and to see what I think is the path forward.

Waltz also praised the men and woman who work at the Mayo Clinic.

“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” Walz said. “What’s really great at Mayo Clinic is those giants are at the table with us today in many cases.”

Walz addressed the ongoing strain on the food supply chain in the wake of the coronavirus, including the recent shutdown of the JBS plant in Minnesota.

“We literally feed the world,” Walz said. “And disruptions in that cause immense problems.”

“So I just want to say how grateful I am Mr. Vice President that you would come and take a look at this,” Walz said.

The local ABC affiliate reported on Pence’s remarks before he boarded Air Force Two. Pence said:

The last thing I would say to anyone looking on, particularly some of the 39,000 dedicated men and women here at the Mayo Clinic, just thank you for what you do every day. You are healers. Far beyond the coronavirus, long before it arrived and long after we have dealt with it, as a nation, the Mayo Clinic will continue to be synonymous with the highest standard of care in America.

And on behalf of your president and the grateful nation. I want to say to each and every one of the dedicated doctors and nurses and researcher and support team here, thank you. Thank you for what you are doing every day.

To be a part of this, of the healing of this nation, and I leave here today with renewed confidence that with the leadership, of our President, with the strong partnership, state governments, and the strong partnership with incredible health care providers like here at Mayo Clinic and innovators and with the cooperation of people of this country that we’ll get through this.

“We will get through this together,” Pence said. “We will protect the most vulnerable. We will put America back to work. And we will heal our land.”

Follow Penny Starr on Twitter