Twitter | @DanPatrick

Texas Lt. Gov. Suggests Seniors Would Rather Die Than Let Economy Suffer

Updated September 6, 2021

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With millions of Americans unable to work due to restrictions put into place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the stock market has taken a serious tumble. And because nobody really knows when the virus will have retreated enough for the restrictions to be lifted, it's also unclear when the stock market will be able to recover.

And so, President Trump made public that he's toying with the idea of lifting the restrictions before public health officials would recommend it, despite a precipitous rise in both cases and fatalities across the nation, believing the economy might recover.

Trump has at least one vocal supporter in Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.

In an appearance on Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News, Patrick suggested that seniors, who are at higher risk of death should they contract COVID-19, would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the economy.

"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 America loves for its children and grandchildren?' And if that is the exchange, I'm all in," Patrick told Carlson.

"And that doesn't make me noble or brave or anything like that," he continued.

Twitter | @DanPatrick

"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. And, I want to, you know, live smart and see through this, but I don't want the whole country to be sacrificed. And that's what I see."

Patrick himself is due to turn 70 next week.

Facebook | Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick

He suggested that the damage to the economy due to an extended shutdown would be worth avoiding even if it puts seniors' health at significant risk.

"My message is that let's get back to work, let's get back to living. Let's be smart about it and those of us who are 70+, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country," he said.

However, the president's hands may be somewhat tied when it comes to getting people back to work.

Many closures of businesses have occurred either as a result of the decisions of private companies, as with the major sports leagues, or due to decisions at the state or municipal level, so it's unclear whether the president will even be able to re-start businesses as he intends to.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo repudiated the idea of putting seniors at risk for the sake of the economy.

At a Tuesday press conference, Cuomo said "My mother is not expendable. And your mother is not expendable. And our brothers and sisters are not expendable. We're not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable. We're not going to put a dollar figure on human life."

h/t: CNN, NBC News, Fox News

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