Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has now released a statement regarding his actions leading up to his recent diagnosis of COVID-19. It was revealed yesterday that the Trump-sympathizing Senator, although asymptomatic, was tested for the virus and his results came back positive.
It didn’t take long at all for Americans across the country to begin questioning why the Senator, who just recently voted against a relief package for the struggling public and whose father called the deadly virus a “hoax” just a few weeks before his son’s diagnosis, was able to acquire a test in a timely manner with absolutely no symptoms while the average Joe is finding it nearly impossible even when they’re presenting with near-fatal signs of the illness.
Add that to the fact that it was recently revealed that Paul was living his best life in the Senate gym, swimming a few laps as he awaited the results of the test that ultimately came back positive and it’s safe to say that the American public is rightly outraged.
It seems that Rand wanted to get out a statement to meet the anger and frustration of this nation’s people, chock full of all the typical “it’s not my fault”s we’ve come to expect from members of the Republican party.
Paul kicked off his statement by attempting to explain why he got his asymptomatic self tested without a symptom in sight while the rest of us are essentially sent home with a handful of non-answers to hope that we don’t die.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“Given that my wife and I had traveled extensively during the weeks prior to COVID-19 social distancing practices, and that I am at a higher risk for serious complications from the virus due to having part of my lung removed seven months ago, I took a COVID-19 test when I arrived in D.C. last Monday,” Paul’s statement opens.
Rand then went on to attempt to explain away his presence at public functions when he should have been under self-quarantine due to repeated travels and exposure before making a half-hearted call to open the public’s accessibility to COVID-19 testing — now that he has it himself.
“I believe we need more testing immediately, even among those without symptoms. The nature of COVID-19 put me – and us all – in a Catch-22 situation. I didn’t fit the criteria for testing or quarantine. I had no symptoms and no specific encounter with a COVID-19 positive person,” the statement reads. “For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol. The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined. It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested.”
“The broader the testing and the less finger-pointing we have, the better. America is strong. We are a resilient people, but we’re stronger when we stand together,” Paul’s statement concluded.
Unsurprisingly, Americans weren’t impressed:
Statement from America pic.twitter.com/FKmbfMXFTp
— Drumstick (@1realdrumstick) March 23, 2020
You’re a medical doctor. You should have known better.
— todd (@tspigener) March 23, 2020
“Perhaps it is too much to ask that we simply have compassion for our fellow Americans who are sick or fearful of becoming so.”
Tell that to #MoronAVirus45. Trump & his supporters blasted @PeterAlexander for asking him to address scared Americans. Screw you
— NotafanofTrump 🌊 (@ducksinmypool) March 23, 2020
I’m praying for Rand Paul………….’s neighbor
— STKABG PAEUR/EURB (@volcanicvents) March 23, 2020
You are a reckless, irresponsible person and NO SPIN will make that different.
— ValorieAMS (@ValorieAMS) March 23, 2020
I have little sympathy for both your lack of quarantining (by blaming it on testing rules?!), and your NO vote. A doctor this irresponsible should have his license taken away. You HAD the power to push for more testing and you FAILED to use it.
— B (@BrentWagner) March 23, 2020
It seems these GOPers have quite a knack for changing their tune when it comes to themselves, doesn’t it?
You can read Senator Rand Paul’s full statement here.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
Like what you see here? Join the discussion on Facebook over at Americans For Sanity!
