“It Will Be A Lot More Of This”: Lt. Gov. Dan Forest Plans to Continue Endangering Public Health By Holding Large In-Person Events

Forest: “We Shake As Many Hands as We Can.”

Today, Gov. Roy Cooper’s campaign launched a new ad highlighting GOP nominee Dan Forest’s disregard for public safety measures, holding at least sixteen indoor crowd events with no masks and no social distancing observed. Just this past weekend, Forest held another in-person fundraiser with over 100 attendees – and did not require masks or social distancing. Forest proudly proclaimed that he will be holding more of these dangerous events in the future and in a blasé tone stated that “we shake as many hands as we can” and that “it will be a lot more of this” indicating the superspreader event behind him.

Forest continues to claim that “masks do not work with viruses,” which was immediately labeled as false by independent observers. In reality, widespread mask use has helped flatten the curve in other countries and could potentially save tens of thousands of American lives.

Forest also doesn’t believe in social distancing or any other COVID-19 precautions. If he were governor, Forest would strive for herd immunity, which would cost countless lives and has been debunked by public health experts as a viable strategy. Under Forest’s leadership, North Carolina would be worse than Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia – with hospitals at the brink of capacity, ICU beds running low, and an unnecessary number of cases due to their slow-acting, ignorant Republican governors. 

“Dan Forest’s reckless and selfish behavior proves he is unfit to be governor,” said DGA National Press Secretary Jerusalem Demsas. “Dan Forest’s North Carolina would be following the lead of states like Georgia and Florida where the virus is spiraling out of control and hospitals are overwhelmed. ”