Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has said that Democratic President Joe Biden should burn his face mask on television in order to promote the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Paul made his comment during a Wednesday appearance on the Fox News program The Story with Martha MacCallum. Paul’s comment came in reaction to a clip of infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci stating that vaccinated people are capable of infecting others with COVID-19 and, thus, should still wear face masks.
Shaking his head at Fauci’s words, Paul said, “If you want more people to get vaccinated, Joe Biden should go on national TV. take his mask off and burn it… and say, ‘I’ve had the vaccine I am now saved from this plague. If you’ll get the vaccine, you can be safe too.'”
Instead, Rand accused Fauci of “fear-mongering.” Rand said that “there’s no evidence” that people who get the vaccine are spreading COVID-19. He also said he would listen to Fauci if he could provide any evidence.
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MacCallum mentioned to Rand that there have been reports of people contracting COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 5,800 people have caught COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated. Of those cases, many became seriously ill and 74 died.
These cases represent roughly 0.0067 percent of the estimated 86 million U.S. citizens who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Nevertheless, the CDC has said that people displaying COVID-19 symptoms can possibly transmit the virus to others.
Despite this, Rand held up a hand gesture signifying “zero” when he rhetorically asked MacCallum how many people had died of COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. He later said, “The vaccination has virtually zero hospitalizations, and virtually zero deaths.”
This isn’t the first time Paul has railed against Fauci’s advice that vaccinated people should continue wearing masks.
At a March 19 Senate hearing, Paul said that people who have been vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19 have immunity and, thus, no longer need face masks. He then asked Fauci whether the doctor’s continual wearing of two face masks, despite being vaccinated, was “just theater.”
Fauci said it wasn’t just theater, and that vaccinated people should continue wearing masks. He added that studies haven’t determined whether the newly emerging COVID-19 variants can infect vaccinated or previously infected individuals either. He also said that the vaccines only offer partial immunity for the variants.
A video of their March 19 disagreement has gained nearly 2 million views.
The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has been slowly rising since mid-March. In mid-March, the seven-day average for new cases was around 54,000. By mid-April, the number increased to over 71,000.
Newsweek contacted Paul’s office for comment.
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