Mike Pence fondles something he shouldn't and the Internet erupts

Mike Pence just had to do it, run his hand over a very important piece of space hardware despite a sign that blared "Do Not Touch" almost jumping out and biting his hand! This picture that was taken Thursday when Vice President Pence visited NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.

Of course, this picture didn't slip by the people on social media sites who spotted Mike Pence's hand almost clipping the "Do Not Touch" sign. Pence is now the butt of a joke online, but according to USA Today, he's fine with that.

A soft touch

Would Pence have had the urge to run his hand over the "critical space flight hardware" if there wasn't a "Do Not Touch" sign there?

Some people would actually take that sign as a dare.

Did Pence not see the sign because he was so engrossed in what this critical space flight hardware had to offer? It is not as if he was rough on this hardware, as you can see in the picture it was more like a gentle fondle than a full-forced feel.

He had to do it

USA Today reports that because of this picture and the efforts of some social media users, "a new meme is born." They also let their readers know that there is no need to worry because Pence is "in on the joke."

One can't help wonder if this would have been such a light-hearted offense if Donald Trump laid his hand on the space hardware in front of the "Do Not Touch " sign. Would people make a fun meme out of the offense it if happened to be Trump and not Pence?

What if this was Trump?

Or would Trump be chastised for thinking rules don't apply to him? Well, unless Trump touches something he is not supposed to the world will never know. So how did Mike Pence find himself at NASA breaking one of their rules?

Pence was at NASA to deliver a speech on how Donald Trump plans to make the space agency and exploration of space "great again." With that speech came a tour and they happened upon the covering for the Orion capsule, which is what Pence is running his hand over in the picture.

The Orion capsule is a vessel designed to take humans into deep space.

Orion Clean Room

During the tour, Pence and his guides stopped at the Orion Clean Room, where the Orion capsule cover was sitting with the "Do Not Touch" sign prominently displayed.

The Orion Clean Room is the area where NASA is assembling pieces of the Orion capsule.

The photographer along for the tour happened to catch Vice President Pence at the exact moment he broke that "Do Not Touch" rule.

The rest is history... Mike Pence becomes an Internet sensation for not following one simple rule. From all reports, he's being one good sport about the attention this has attracted. You can check out a few Twitter posts over the Mike Pence "Do Not Touch" debacle.