Dan Patrick on coronavirus: ‘More important things than living’ – By Doha Madani (NBC News) / April 21 2020
Texas’ lieutenant governor was heavily criticized last month for suggesting that senior citizens might be willing to die of the coronavirus to save the economy.
Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick doubled down on controversial comments he has made about the coronavirus pandemic, telling Fox News on Monday that Americans had to “take some risks” in reopening the economy.
Patrick was heavily criticized last month after he suggested in an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that he and other senior citizens might be willing to die to save the economy. He stood by his statements in a new interview with Carlson on Monday night, saying, “We are crushing the economy.”
“And what I said when I was with you that night, there are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us,” Patrick said Monday night.
He went on to say that he didn’t want to die but that “we’ve got to take some risks and get back in the game and get this country back up and running.”
The Texas Democratic Party said in a statement Tuesday that Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott would put Texans at risk to enrich business interests.
“They would see our family members die to bail out Wall Street,” the statement said. “The lives of our families, our friends, and our communities have no dollar amount. Texas Republicans can no longer claim to be the pro-life party anymore.”
Continue to article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-reopening-economy-more-important-things-n1188911
