Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) questions Attorney General William Barr who appears before the House Oversight Committee on July 28, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. (Photo: Matt McClain-Pool/Getty Images)
Texas Republican Louis Gohmert Becomes Latest Anti-Mask Lawmaker to Test Positive for Covid-19
The GOP lawmaker was quickly accused of exposing "every single person in yesterday's hearing."
First it was the United Kingdom's Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Then it was Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
Now, according to reports on Wednesday, it is Republican Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas who has tested positive for Covid-19 after publicly posturing against the use of masks.
As Politico, citing multiple sources familiar with the situation, reports:
Gohmert was scheduled to fly to Texas on Wednesday morning with President Donald Trump and tested positive in a pre-screen at the White House. The eighth-term Republican told CNN last month that he was not wearing a mask because he was being tested regularly for the coronavirus.
Axios notes that "Gohmert, a fierce defender of President Trump and member of the House Freedom Caucus, has been walking around the Capitol without a mask and attended Tuesday's hearing with Attorney General Bill Barr."
During Tuesday's hearing, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) had set rules requiring masks be worn except during questioning but was forced to repeatedly urge Republican members to put theirs on.
After the hearing, Brad Parscale, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign who is now leading its digital strategy, posted a video ridiculing Nadler's effort to get GOP members to wear their masks.
"Less than 24 hrs later" after Parscale's video, lamented healthcare advocate Kendall Brown on Twitter, "Gohmert has tested positive for coronavirus, meaning he exposed every single person in yesterday's hearing."
"Turns out," she added, that "Parscale is just as bad at predicting extremely predictable coronavirus outcomes as he is at being a campaign manager."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
First it was the United Kingdom's Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Then it was Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
Now, according to reports on Wednesday, it is Republican Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas who has tested positive for Covid-19 after publicly posturing against the use of masks.
As Politico, citing multiple sources familiar with the situation, reports:
Gohmert was scheduled to fly to Texas on Wednesday morning with President Donald Trump and tested positive in a pre-screen at the White House. The eighth-term Republican told CNN last month that he was not wearing a mask because he was being tested regularly for the coronavirus.
Axios notes that "Gohmert, a fierce defender of President Trump and member of the House Freedom Caucus, has been walking around the Capitol without a mask and attended Tuesday's hearing with Attorney General Bill Barr."
During Tuesday's hearing, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) had set rules requiring masks be worn except during questioning but was forced to repeatedly urge Republican members to put theirs on.
After the hearing, Brad Parscale, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign who is now leading its digital strategy, posted a video ridiculing Nadler's effort to get GOP members to wear their masks.
"Less than 24 hrs later" after Parscale's video, lamented healthcare advocate Kendall Brown on Twitter, "Gohmert has tested positive for coronavirus, meaning he exposed every single person in yesterday's hearing."
"Turns out," she added, that "Parscale is just as bad at predicting extremely predictable coronavirus outcomes as he is at being a campaign manager."
First it was the United Kingdom's Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Then it was Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
Now, according to reports on Wednesday, it is Republican Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas who has tested positive for Covid-19 after publicly posturing against the use of masks.
As Politico, citing multiple sources familiar with the situation, reports:
Gohmert was scheduled to fly to Texas on Wednesday morning with President Donald Trump and tested positive in a pre-screen at the White House. The eighth-term Republican told CNN last month that he was not wearing a mask because he was being tested regularly for the coronavirus.
Axios notes that "Gohmert, a fierce defender of President Trump and member of the House Freedom Caucus, has been walking around the Capitol without a mask and attended Tuesday's hearing with Attorney General Bill Barr."
During Tuesday's hearing, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) had set rules requiring masks be worn except during questioning but was forced to repeatedly urge Republican members to put theirs on.
After the hearing, Brad Parscale, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign who is now leading its digital strategy, posted a video ridiculing Nadler's effort to get GOP members to wear their masks.
"Less than 24 hrs later" after Parscale's video, lamented healthcare advocate Kendall Brown on Twitter, "Gohmert has tested positive for coronavirus, meaning he exposed every single person in yesterday's hearing."
"Turns out," she added, that "Parscale is just as bad at predicting extremely predictable coronavirus outcomes as he is at being a campaign manager."