Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who previously suggested that older Americans should die to save the economy, is now predicting that the “third wave” of the coronavirus pandemic will be “chaos and anarchy.”
Patrick, a conservative Republican, made the claim Wednesday during an appearance on Fox News @ Night. Host Shannon Bream asked Patrick about a push by groups including the ACLU to have some incarcerated people released to protect their lives and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 behind bars.
Patrick responded by noting that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order barring judges from releasing inmates on no-cost bonds. He added that Texas’ prison system has logged only four confirmed deaths from COVID-19 .
“I don’t think that means we should release criminals on the streets,” Patrick said. “Look, there are three waves of this pandemic. The first wave is of course the virus. The second wave is the tremendous cost to business. And the third wave turns into chaos and anarchy. If you let criminals out on the street, they’re going to commit more crimes.”
Patrick went on to blame “George Soros leftist judges who want to let everyone out,” adding that more than 50 law enforcement officers have died from COVID-19.
“We’re asking these men and women — they may get shot, they may get stabbed, they may get hurt — and now they’re exposed to the virus, and they’re going to go out and arrest people for them to be turned back out on the street?” Patrick said. “We’re going to have ‘de-policing’ in this country. Police are going to say, ‘That’s enough, I’m willing to put myself on the line, but you’re going to let them out when I catch them to commit another crime? I’m not doing this.’ And that’s when you have anarchy, and that’s when you have chaos, and that’s why people have guns in their houses to protect themselves.”
Watch the full segment below.
