Who is Phil Valentine? Anti-vaxxer radio host critical with Covid, family begs all to get jab
A prominent right-wing radio host from Nashville, Tennessee, is fighting for his life with Covid-19 after he contracted Covid-induced pneumonia and other serious implications of the virus. Phil Valentine, the 61-year-old host of a radio show on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, has always been known to be an anti-vaxxer. However, ever since Valentine slipped into a critical stage, his family has expressed their regret about not being "vehemently pro-vaccine".
"Please continue to pray for his recovery and PLEASE GO GET VACCINATED!" his brother Mark Valentine has implored everyone. He confirmed that Phil Valentine is currently being treated in a critical care unit due to "Covid pneumonia and the attendant side effects". Though he is not yet on ventilation, he is breathing with assistance.
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On July 21, Hillsong Church member Stephen Harmon, 34, who was against vaccines died of Covid-19 at the Corona Regional Medical Center outside Los Angeles where he was being treated for Covid-19 and pneumonia. On May 26, Colorado sheriff's deputy Daniel Trujillo, 33, died of Covid-19 after boasting of "having an immune system".
Who is Phil Valentine?
Philip Carr Valentine is a well-reckoned name in Tennessee as a conservative radio host, who also led protests against a proposed state income tax. Despite being the son of former Democratic Representative Tim Valentine, Phil Valentine has always shown his inclination towards right-wing politics. He started a career in radio while pursuing a broadcast major at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in North Carolina. He is most famous for hosting the podcast 'PodGOATs' with his eldest son Campbell Valentine. Until the deterioration of his health conditions due to Covid-19, Valentine broadcasted daily on WWTN from 3 pm to 7 pm CT.
During the pandemic, Valentine has time and again expressed his strong stance against the Covid-19 vaccine. His Twitter and Facebook profiles are filled with posts that question the efficacy of the vaccines and mask, and perpetuate conspiracy theories about the same. After being diagnosed with the disease on July 12, 2021, the radio host continued to joke as he posted, "Unfortunately for the haters out there, it looks like I'm going to make it."
On his Facebook profile, Valentine wrote an elaborate post saying, "Yes, the rumors are true. I have COVID.....Interesting experience. I'll have to fill you in when I come back on the air. I'm hoping that will be tomorrow, but I may take a day off just as a precaution. It'll be a game time decision."
Two days later, on July 14, the strict anti-vaxxer appeared to have softened his stance towards vaccination, as he wrote, "If you're high risk of dying from COVID I still strongly suggest you consider the vaccine, but this is totally your choice. Just make sure you're prepared if you decide against the vaccine." However, he still continued to promote "some very effective alternatives to the vaccine."
The same day, he shared a screenshot of CDC's 'I Got My Covid-19 Vaccine' poster, with the word 'vaccine' scratched out, as he captioned the post, "Doing my patriotic duty for natural herd immunity."
However, soon afterward, things took a turn for the worse as the host had to be checked into a critical care unit. His latest post on both Twitter and Facebook was on July 16, where he shared the news of Johnson & Johnson pulling several sunscreens over cancerous chemicals. "Ah, but I'm sure their vaccine is perfectly safe. Don't worry about it," he wrote in the caption.
Presently, with his condition being serious, Valentine's brother Mark shared that the host regrets not being "pro-vaccine". "Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an "anti-vaxxer" he regrets not being more vehemently "Pro-Vaccine", his brother stated.