Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) blamed the spread of coronavirus in Louisiana on one or two people weakening their immune systems at Mardi Gras.
Kennedy said on Fox News, “We’re a hot spot. It started in New Orleans. It’s moving into the rest of the state. I think it has a lot to do with Mardi Gras. I think our friends in China were worried about their image more than the world’s health and sat on the news about this virus for longer than they should have. We held Mardi Gras. People flew in from all over the world. We were in close quarters. One or two had too much to drink and lowered their immune system. They diminished their immune systems and we got a problem.”
Video:
"We had Mardi Gras. People flew in from all over the world. We were in close quarters. One of two had too much to drink and lowered their immune systems" — @SenJohnKennedy on why coronavirus is spreading in Louisiana pic.twitter.com/qHfPrarejx
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 24, 2020
It is good that Sen. Kennedy is admitting that there is a problem. The bad news is that the problem didn’t come from one or two people drinking too much and weakening their immune systems.
Kennedy is spouting illogical nonsense to comply with the Trump party line that the coronavirus is no big deal. The federal government had ample warning about the virus. Trump ignored warnings for months. The states are having to do this on their own because the federal response has been a failure.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
