A Democrat Texas Representative from Houston said on Monday that he is “good” with Republicans dying from COVID-19.
“COVID-19 has disproportionately killed more REPUBLICANS because of policies like this and consistent anti-vaxx attitudes by Republican leaders,” Rep. Gene Wu said on social media, responding to a post from Gov. Greg Abbott in which he reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring there are no mask mandates in Texas.
“But, if the Governor is fine with this, then I’m good too,” Wu said.
COVID-19 has disproportionately killed more REPUBLICANS because of policies like this and consistent anti-vaxx attitudes by Republican leaders.
But, if the Governor is fine with this, then I'm good too. https://t.co/Dw6qcxClcl
— Gene Wu (@GeneforTexas) August 28, 2023
Wu’s comments garnered backlash on social media.
“If you’re a Republican, Gene Wu wants you dead,” said Derrick Wilson, chairman of the Texas Young Republican Federation.
In a statement to The Dallas Express, Dallas County Young Republicans Director of Programming Harrison Moore said Wu’s comments “are reflective of how blinded the Left still is by COVID-19.”
“They are more concerned with implementing and pushing scare tactics, misinformation, and government control than they are with real issues that affect Texans every day,” he said.
If you’re a Republican, Gene Wu wants you dead. https://t.co/TmrgKXhyFP
— Derrick Wilson (@dtwilson117) August 28, 2023
Austin-based radio host Todd Jeffries said, “Wu is deplorable.”
Still, some showed support, with one commenter echoing Wu’s sentiment by saying, “I want to encourage them not to get vaccinated — let their Jesus take care of them.”
Wu responded to his critics by claiming, “I don’t understand why MAGA BEST FRIENDS are getting so upset with me. I’m 100% supportive of them not getting vaccinated and not doing things to slow the infection rate of their local areas.”
I don't understand why MAGA BEST FRIENDS are getting so upset with me.
I'm 100% supportive of them not getting vaccinated and not doing things to slow the infection rate of their local areas. https://t.co/mkX8kxVV08
— Gene Wu (@GeneforTexas) August 28, 2023
“Y’all tell me COVID is fake, the vaccine doesn’t work, and everything is fine,” he continued. “All I’m saying is: ‘Ok, cool.’ What’s the misconnection here?”
Wu backed his claim that more Republicans die from COVID-19 by citing an NPR article discussing a study that concluded “the excess death rate among Republican voters was 43% higher than the excess death rate among Democratic voters” after vaccines became available. During the first year of the pandemic, before vaccines became available, the excess death rates among the two groups were actually very similar, according to the research.
The article also details “several limitations” of the study. Researchers noted that party affiliation could be “a proxy for other factors” such as income, health insurance status, chronic medical conditions, race, and ethnicity.
Researchers also warned that because their study focused on Florida and Ohio, their findings may not apply to other states. The data they analyzed included the vaccination status of people who died but did not include the cause of death itself.
Moore told The Dallas Express that since Wu “seems to be the self-imposed expert” on COVID-19, he should shift his focus from “what political party suffered a greater number of mortalities over a period of time” and focus instead on what Moore claims are “negative effects” of the COVID-19 vaccine, the “ineffectiveness of masks,” and the economic ramifications of lockdown policies “that permanently damaged many small business owners.”
A study published earlier this year found that face masks “may make little to no difference” in curbing the transmission of COVID-19. Similarly, studies have shown that COVID lockdowns forced a disproportionately large percentage of small businesses to close while larger corporations thrived.
“It’s clear that the Left is starting to prepare and push for a new wave of shutdowns and/or mandates in the near future,” Moore suggested. “Texans must stand strong against any and all mandates or shutdowns that could be implemented in the future.’
“We will not let the Texas economy be damaged by the insane policies of the Left, and I believe that the vast majority of Texans feel the same way after many were fed lies from the Democrats and mainstream media outlets across the country,” he continued. “Maybe if Gene Wu actually went out and spoke and listened to his constituents, he would learn a thing or two about how Texans truly feel toward his asinine COVID policies.”
