While positive COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Texas, GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw has been a strong advocate for wearing no masks, all while hosting no-mask in-person events in the state.
Meanwhile, Texas is reporting 1 of 7 coronavirus cases nationally over the past week, a new grim milestone regarding the pandemic.
In accordance with party lines, Crenshaw has continuously given factually wrong takes regarding the coronavirus on social media and Fox News. In early March, Crenshaw claimed that masks do not help to prevent the virus, and even called Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s mask order “way over the top and draconian” and leading to “unjust government tyranny. But Gov. Greg Abbott issued a similar statewide mask order on July 2, and Crenshaw now believes it is a “targeted measure” and “the governor makes a good case for it.”
Then on June 12 Crenshaw said the virus is “not going to get transmitted” and that “it seems obvious that mass gatherings should be limited.” But a week later, he attended multiple maskless meet-and-greet events in Houston, including a packed-house event with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
In regards to factual reporting of COVID-19 in Texas, Crenshaw has suggested that the “manipulative” media “can’t find one iota of intellectual honesty,” blaming the COVID-19 spike especially on the Black Lives Matter protests in June. Experts have refuted those claims. Crenshaw has also falsely stated the death rate has been “decreasing” but the death rate was and is still rising across the state.
Sima Ladjevardian, Crenshaw’s Democratic opponent for District 2, issued the following statement: “Our community has become the nation’s COVID-19 epicenter, and Dan Crenshaw must answer for his endless falsehoods that risked our lives and potentially led thousands of Texans to suffer,” Ladjevardian stated. “Dan’s disinformation jeopardized our way of life, and he repeatedly failed to show personal responsibility by wearing a mask. Congressman Crenshaw betrayed the people he claims to represent with his shameless disinformation and he owes every Houston family an apology.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Sarah brings more than seven years of experience as a multimedia journalist to Texas Signal, where she serves as our Podcast and Video Producer, managing the company's three podcasts, including SignalCast, TexMix Podcast and Three Righteous Mamas, and assisting with copy-editing and social media as well. Sarah is also the Editor-at-Large at Brown Girl Magazine, and an avid artist, TV/film enthusiast and cook. Sarah graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Journalism, and received a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston.
