Dem Congressman Who Contracted Covid Rips Gohmert, Republicans for Taking ‘Egotistical Approach’ On the Virus to ‘Score Political Points’

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) ripped Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and other Republicans for taking “an egotistical approach” to the pandemic to “score political points” after the democratic congressman tested positive for Covid-19 following a congressional hearing.

Grijalva sat near to Gohmert during William Barr’s testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on July 28. Gohmert, who notably did not wear a mask during the hearing, tested positive for the virus a day later and blamed masks for the reason he contracted coronavirus.

Grijalva tested positive over the weekend and blamed “numerous Republican members [who] routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families” in his announcement of the diagnosis. On Monday, he continued those sentiments on All In With Chris Hayes.

“Members of Congress should be setting some level of example to the rest of the public,” Grijalva said over phone. “Like Mr. Gohmert and others, or [Rep. Jim] Jordan, etc., [Andy] Biggs in my state, that flaunt the idea, the he-man attitude that this is not ideological, it is a left wing conspiracy, it’s a hoax that we have to wear a mask and socially distance or it’s a Democratic party plot.”

“This kind of egotistical approach to it is trying to score political points when people are getting sick and people are dying, that just doesn’t work.” he continued. “A good example is now that Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi has made the masks mandatory on the floor involving Congress hearing — that’s a good step to just make it mandatory. And if people don’t want to participate, then they don’t need to participate in the governance that’s going on.”

Grijalva went on to blast President Donald Trump for making the pandemic seem like a “political inconvenience,” he said.  “It’s trying to pretend like it’s not here,” he said. “I think, is a scarier attitude that they’re taking.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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