Twitter users are calling out a US Governor for claiming that “lots of grandparents out there” are willing to take a chance against the COVID-19 coronavirus in order to save the economy.
Speaking on Fox News, Texas Lieutenant governor Dan Patrick agreed with President Donald Trump’s proposal for a quicker end to the shutdowns that have stalled the economy.
The closures and stay-at-home instructions are aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, especially to those most vulnerable, such as seniors, who make up 80% of all US deaths.
But Patrick, who turns 70 next month, indicated he’s willing to put his own survival on the line in exchange for “keeping the America that all America loves” for future generations.
“And if that’s the exchange, I’m all in,” he told Tucker Carlson, adding there are “lots of grandparents” who agree.
“My message is that let’s get back to work, let’s get back to living, let’s be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country,” he said.
Twitter users were aghast at the notion of grandparents being sacrificed to the virus in the name of the economy:
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