There are some Republican governors, like Ron DeSantis or Kristi Noem, that don’t seem to care if their constituents die of COVID. Many other GOP governors, like Jim Justice, Mike DeWine, Charlie Baker and Asa Hutchinson have pushed hard to get their followers vaccinated.
But Utah’s Spencer Cox took it up a notch on Monday. The Republican governor was asked about how the propaganda being spread by the GOP is preventing Utahns from getting their shot. Cox specifically called out Fox News while answering
The Salt Lake Tribune’s Bryan Schott asked, “The anti-vaccine rhetoric we’ve been seeing primarily on right-wing media, Fox News — how harmful has that been?”
Cox answered, “The propaganda that’s been coming out, I think it’s harmful. I think it’s ridiculous what’s happening. We have these — these talking heads who have gotten the vaccine and are telling other people not to get the vaccine. That kind of stuff, it’s just ridiculous. It’s dangerous, it’s damaging, it’s killing people. I mean it’s literally killing their supporters. And that makes no sense to me.”
Wow: Utah's Republican governor says @FoxNews is killing Republicans.@SchottHappens of @SLTrib: "The anti-vaccine rhetoric we've been seeing primarily on right-wing media, Fox News — how harmful has that been?" @GovCox: “This propaganda that's been coming out.. pic.twitter.com/QEhc1ZZCJZ
— Kurt Andersen (@KBAndersen) July 19, 2021
Red states have been hit particularly hard by the new delta variant. And the number gets even worse when it comes to Evangelicals and Trump supporters. Still, Fox isn’t likely to change their messaging anytime soon. After Steve Doocy pleaded with Fox & Friends viewers to get vaccinated, co-host Brian Kilmeade responded, “Make your own decision. It’s available to everyone. We are not doctors.”