“No Different Than the Flu”: Gov. Mike Parson Bucks Responsibility for COVID-19, Likens Virus To The Flu Or Car Wrecks

At a press conference yesterday, GOP Missouri Gov. Mike Parson refused to take responsibility for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, likened the virus to the flu or a car wreck, and harassed a reporter, all in one minute.
When asked whether he takes responsibility for the virus’s toll on Missouri after he chose to reopen the state, Parson, who has been preaching “personal responsibility”, responded: ”That’s no different than the flu virus or do I feel guilty because we have car accidents and people die every day? No, I don’t feel guilty about that.” He then went on to berate the reporter.
A lot to unpack there – but Parson’s lack of compassion for suffering Missourians is nothing new. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Parson has doubled down on blocking Medicaid expansion, placing partisanship above public health.
Also getting old? Parson’s confusing and misleading statements on the virus. In addition to promoting the widely debunked theory that COVID-19 is the equivalent of the seasonal flu, Parson previously announced the virus will “be around several more months” and a vaccine will be “out before the fall.”
Parson offered this prognosis at the end of the briefing: “I think we’re fine.” For some reason, we don’t find that very comforting.
“As cases rise in Missouri, Mike Parson is continuing to peddle a widely debunked characterization of the deadly virus and shirk from the responsibility he has in stopping it,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Christina Amestoy. “Throughout this crisis, Parson’s leadership has been absent. He continues to oppose expanding access to health care for Missourians, even in the middle of a pandemic. He denies any responsibility for his inaction that put Missourians at risk. As much as Parson will try to deny it, the buck stops at the governor’s desk. Parson’s fecklessness has been a hallmark of his administration, and Missouri deserves better.”