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Beto O'Rourke claims Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is ‘asking minimum wage workers to do the dying’

Former congressman Beto O’Rourke appeared on The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell, Thursday. O’Rourke spent the entirety of the interview discussing the increase in COVID-19 cases in Texas, which he heavily attributes to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s desire to keep the state open. Patrick made headlines in March when he suggested the elderly would be willing to die for the economy. Governor Greg Abbott briefly shutdown the state, but under alleged pressure from Patrick, he reopened early and against CDC guidelines. A recent spike in cases has led to a partial shut down again, as some hospitals have reported their ICU facilities are over capacity. Despite this, Patrick is still fighting to open the state. He is also no longer taking the advice of infectious disease expert Dr. Fauci. “Dan Patrick and this death cult that he's trying to lead here in Texas where he says there are more important things than living as an argument to re-open the state,” said O’Rourke. O’Rourke believes Patrick is unencumbered by concern for those most at risk by keeping the state open. “He’s asking minimum wage workers, Black Texans, Latino Texans, to do the dying,” said O’Rourke. “He just literally does not care about them.”

Video Transcript

BETO O'ROURKE: The governor is relatively weak compared to governors of other states, and therefore, the Lieutenant Governor, who presides over the state senate, some would argue holds the most power in the state.

- Former congressman Beto O'Rourke appeared on the Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell Thursday, where he discussed Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's pressure to keep the state open, despite an increase in COVID-19 cases that has led to patients being transferred due to overcrowding in some parts of the state.

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BETO O'ROURKE: Dan Patrick and his death cult that he's trying to lead here in Texas, where he says there are more important things than living as an argument to reopen the state. And he's asking minimum wage workers, black Texans, Latino Texans to do the dying.

- Patrick made headlines in March when he suggested the elderly should be willing to die for the economy. And O'Rourke claims that, now, he's pressuring local politicians to keep minimum wage employees working and further exposing them to the deadly disease.

BETO O'ROURKE: The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, getting hit so hard by COVID-19. Those are 90% plus Mexican-American communities. He just literally does not care about them, and he does have a very powerful voice in the Republican controlled state government right now.