Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (right) is facing backlash after blaming unvaccinated Black people for spreading Covid-19 around the country.
Patrick said Blacks are the “biggest group” of unvaccinated people in America.
The lt. governor made the remarks in an interview with host Laura Ingraham of Fox News show The Ingraham Angle.
He said Black people vote for Democrats and he blamed members of the Democratic Party for not making sure Black people get the experimental messenger RNA vaccine.
“Most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated and the Democrats like to blame Republicans on that. Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties, so it’s up to the Democrats to get just as that it’s up to Republicans to try to get as many people vaccinated.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blames unvaccinated Black people for Covid spread in his state pic.twitter.com/CfwajqECLM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2021
Patrick said he respects the rights of people who don’t want to get the vaccines and they won’t be forced. However, Patrick said nothing is being done about vaccine hesitancy in the Black community “that has a significantly high number of unvaccinated people.”
Patrick’s comments came days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott tested positive for Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
Black Twitter unloaded on Patrick, referring to him as “racist” and a “white supremacist.”
Just when we hope "they" can't get any worse, they prove they can.
— Áine Ni Donnghaile ????????? ?? (@Travelin_Ann) August 20, 2021
just remove the word "unvaccinated" and it'd just be more Jim Crow era deflection
— jay1williams (@jay1williams1) August 20, 2021
That's odd. I'm a native Texan, unlike Dan who moved here some years later, and the percentage of my black neighbors who take Covid seriously is way higher than my white neighbors. I think it may have something to do with empathy.
— SkvTexas_Anti-fascist (@SvkTexas) August 20, 2021
The only surprising part is that it took them this long to blame black people
— Brian Brewer (@bbrewerstandup) August 20, 2021