On Thursday, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) appeared on BlazeTV's "The News & Why it Matters" to discuss her views on monkeypox in relation to the Democratic Party and the midterm elections; calling into question what "zombie Reagan" would have to say on the matter.
Host Sara Gonzales opened the episode offering her own take on monkeypox to both Boebert and guest Jaco Booyens, host of "The Bottom Line," saying "It's important enough to declare it a public health emergency, but not important enough to cancel any sort of San Francisco Pride gay festivals."
"Just like you said, they're not cancelling just where the outbreaks are taking place, but go back to COVID — they shut down our churches, they shut down our schools . . ." Boebert says when Gonzales passes the topic over to her. "We know exactly what causes this monkeypox, and they're not doing anything. Actually, you're a bigot if you talk about it."
The statements Gonzales and Boebert make here are in reference to the outbreak being, as of now, a primary threat amongst men who have sex with men, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"I think it's interesting we have midterm elections coming up and suddenly there's a new health emergency from the federal government," Boebert continues. "President Ronald Reagan — I'm not looking for zombie Reagan to come and save America, but he really did say it best, he said the most dangerous words are 'I'm from the federal government and I'm here to to help.'"
In the 1980s, when the HIV/AIDS epidemic first began, Reagan's press secretary, Larry Speakes, gave an interview to journalist Lester Kinsolving in which he was asked "Is the president concerned about this subject?" To which Speakes replied "I haven't heard him express concern," per Vox coverage of the Reagan Administration's controversial handling of that era's global health emergency.
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"Everything they've [the federal government] done has only caused more pain, more suffering to the American people when they tried with their COVID relief," Boebert says. "I'm not looking to them for help with monkeypox."
"It's totally treatable, or I should say, you could plan for it," Gonzales jumps in to volley. "Totally preventable. Maybe just don't participate in the orgy. It's exit only, fellas."
Watch the full interview here:
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