Texas Lt. Gov. Suggests He'd Risk Getting Coronavirus To Save Economy

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) suggested Monday that senior citizens like him, who are more likely to die from the illness caused by coronavirus than younger people, should be willing to risk exposure to help the U.S. economy.

Patrick, 69, made the comments during a Fox News appearance with host Tucker Carlson .

You know, Tucker, no one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? Patrick said. And if thats the exchange, Im all in.

Tx Lt Gov Dan Patrick says grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for their grandchildren pic.twitter.com/wC3Ngvtsbj

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Tx Lt Gov Dan Patrick says grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for their grandchildren pic.twitter.com/wC3Ngvtsbj
Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) March 24, 2020

I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me I have six grandchildren that what we all care about and what we love more than anything are those children, he said. And I want to, you know, live smart, and see through this, but I dont want the whole country to be sacrificed.

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My message is that, lets get back to work, lets get back to living, lets be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, well take care of ourselves. But dont sacrifice the country, Patrick added.

Patricks comments come as President Donald Trump and his allies have begun pushing a narrative that the effects of social distancing on the U.S. economy may be worse than the effects of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 500 people in the U.S. in recent weeks.

Trump and his senior aides have indicated multiple times since Sunday night that the guidelines the president announced last week which discourage people from gathering in groups of more than 10 people or entering various public spaces will be loosened by next Monday, despite urging from public health officials not to rush back to business as usual.