Michelle Bachmann, the one-time Republican presidential candidate and a noted ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed former Alaska Republican Governor Sarah Palin should be "commended" for dining out at a New York City restaurant even though she had tested positive for COVID-19.
Bachmann declared that Palin should “be commended because she’s trying to act like a normal human being in the greatest city in America,” suggesting that Palin was making a valuable political point when she violated New York City's vaccine mandate.
You can hear what Bachmann said in the video below.
Michele Bachmann says Sarah Palin should be commended for eating at a restaurant while having COVIDpic.twitter.com/YH48ny24f6— Acyn (@Acyn) 1643415987
Bachmann went on to say that Americans should “start resuming normal American life" rather than spend time "cowering in our basements."
Her remarks came after Palin dined at popular New York restaurant Elio’s despite not being vaccinated, what the restaurant’s management says was a “mistake.” In an interview with The New York Times, restaurant manager Luca Guaitolini said that Palin “probably just walked in and strolled over.”
Palin later returned to the restaurant to apologize for the controversy and then was seated outdoors.
Bachmann was criticized for her remarks, with many criticizing her and Palin for encouraging behavior that puts other people at risk of contracting COVID-19.
They're trying to out-stupid each other.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— John Moore (@John Moore) 1643483167
Anything to own the libs. \n\nRemember when they thought one person with Ebola landing on a plane to go straight to a hospital was Armageddon.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Janet Johnson (@Janet Johnson) 1643507300
Sarah Palin is NOT to \u201cbe commended\u201d for going out to a \u201clittle boutique Italian\u201d restaurant while being knowingly infected & contagious with Covid or any other illness.\n\nResponsible people isolate from others in order to STOP THE SPREAD and PREVENT others from CRITICAL ILLNESS!https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— \u2618\ufe0f Tracy Corrigan \u2618\ufe0f (@\u2618\ufe0f Tracy Corrigan \u2618\ufe0f) 1643483546
They are truly despicablehttps://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Lab\u2b55\ufe0fmski \ud83e\ude95 (@Lab\u2b55\ufe0fmski \ud83e\ude95) 1643483975
Well .... that makes two of them dumb as a rock....https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Ron Morrow (@Ron Morrow) 1643487248
Michele "So-Dumb-She's-Not-Even-A-Vegetable" Bachmann... Why does Fox think that anyone other than a clinical psychologist would be interested in anything she has to say? It's like asking a dog for financial advice. No. The dog would make more sense, actually. Believe me.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— \u262d T\u044feaso\u0438ous Tova\u044fich T\u044fump \u262d (@\u262d T\u044feaso\u0438ous Tova\u044fich T\u044fump \u262d) 1643497809
The Batshit Crazy Sistershttps://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Meredith Rose (@Meredith Rose) 1643504205
What the ever loving fuck? More like arrested.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Bryan (@Bryan) 1643506154
How friggin nuts are these people?https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1487220560073351168\u00a0\u2026— Judy Riuliani StopVoterSupression!\ud83d\ude37 (@Judy Riuliani StopVoterSupression!\ud83d\ude37) 1643483328
Palin has refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, saying she’ll get one “over my dead body” and pushing falsehoods about “natural immunity” being better protection against the virus than just getting inoculated, claims that have been debunked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Though Palin has continued to minimize the seriousness of the pandemic, she has, ironically, promoted mask-wearing, particularly after she herself caught COVID-19 in the spring of 2021.
She toldPeople "despite my joking that I’m blessed to constantly breathe in the most sterile air, my case is perhaps one of those that proves anyone can catch this.”