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Did Texas Lt Guv Dan Patrick REALLY say Black people are spreading COVID?

'Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated,' Dan Patrick said on Laura Ingraham's show on Fox News

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has once again grabbed the limelight for the wrong reasons. The Republican politician came under fire recently for his insensitive and racist comment during an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News. While addressing the record-high number of COVID cases in his state Texas, Dan Patrick put the blame on the Black community, especially the Democrat voters. "Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties, so it's up to the Democrats to get just as that it's up to Republicans to try to get as many people vaccinated," Patrick said.

This is not the first time Dan Patrick has riled up social media users for his problematic remarks. The staunch Donald Trump loyalist backed the former President's unfounded claim of voter fraud in the 2020 Elections, even offering $1 million reward to anyone who reported about the same. However, this time Patrick shocked everyone with his racist claims. Meanwhile, the state had consistently opposed the mask mandate in schools and other public places until recently. The ban was in accordance with embattled Governor Greg Abbott's orders, who himself tested positive for COVID-19 on August 18. 

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On August 19, 2021, Dan Patrick appeared on Fox News' 'The Ingraham Angle' where host Laura Ingraham asked him about the reason behind the spike in COVID-19 in his state. "Most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated and the Democrats like to blame Republicans on that," the Lt Governor said, before putting the blame on the Black community. 

He further added that while he respects the individual rights of people against vaccination, nothing is being done to the "African-American community that has a significantly high number of unvaccinated people."

Stanford Medical researcher Jorge A. Caballero responded to Patrick's comments on Twitter, saying, "Per the Census Bureau, 50% of unvaccinated adults in Texas are White (non-Hispanic) There are 3 unvaccinated White adults for every 1 unvaccinated Black adult in Texas 1 in 3 #COVID19 cases in Texas have been among White individuals Oh yeah, and Dan Patrick is a racist."

Author Keith Boykin tweeted, "Texas Governor Greg Abbott is blocking the Black mayors of Houston and Dallas from implementing CDC-recommended Covid rules to save people's lives and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has the audacity to blame Black people for the spread of Covid in his state."

"Trump and his bigoted stooges, like Dan Patrick have gone from blaming COVID on Asian people to Latinos to Black people," political satirist Jeremy Newberger tweeted.

Barely two weeks ago, Dan Patrick made an appearance on Fox News where he spoke against the mask mandate in the state, while criticizing the Biden administration. 

"I have six, soon to be seven grandchildren and four of them are in elementary school. I'm not going to tell my son and my daughter-in-law, what to do with their children regarding masks. I'm not going to tell my daughter and son-in-law what to do about their children and their masks. That's up to my daughter and my son to make that decision based on a lot of factors," he had said at the time.