Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) laid into a reporter who asked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) if calling COVID-19 a bioweapon would embolden more attacks against Asian Americans amid the wave of hate crimes the community is already experiencing.
Greene said calling COVID-19 a bioweapon has nothing to do with race given the pandemic has resulted in the deaths of people belonging to all different kinds of races and ethnicities.
"Let's be real clear about something. I'm very disturbed that you would even ask that kind of question. Chinese Americans are not necessarily members of the Chinese Communist Party. Understand that the Chinese Communist Party rejects virtually every provision in what is known as our Bill of Rights...and for you to associate the Chinese Communist Party with Chinese Americans, as you have done, I submit as egregious and wrong," Brooks followed up.
Brooks said calling COVID-19 a bioweapon is a possibility if it leaked from the virology lab in Wuhan because of the gain of function research.
"When we talk about gain of function...we're talking about a dangerous virus being changed so that it is much more communicable, meaning people are much more likely to get it, and or it becomes much more deadly. Now why would any country, why would any country do that with a virus...if not for militarization purposes," Brooks continued.
Holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for COVID-19 does not equate to generating anti-Asian hatred. For the fake news media to suggest that’s the case demonstrates their clear liberal bias and false equivalence. I will not stand for it. pic.twitter.com/Ib8phdocei
— Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) June 17, 2021