Kevin McCarthy Ripped On Twitter After Bizarre 3-Word All-Caps Vaccine Rant
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Sunday tweeted an all-caps rant opposing vaccine mandates.
“NO VACCINE MANDATES,” his post simply read.
NO VACCINE MANDATES.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) September 12, 2021
McCarthy’s message didn’t mention a specific vaccine. However, it comes as Republicans fight President Joe Biden’s push to require most Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The congressman was among the first people in the U.S. to receive a coronavirus vaccine. He tweeted about getting a “safe and effective” shot on Dec. 20, just nine days after the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer shot.
Vaccine mandates have been common throughout U.S. history.
As a military general, for example, George Washington ordered his troops to be inoculated against smallpox in 1777 via a precursor to vaccination called variolation. The U.S. military currently requires multiple vaccinations, depending on role and location.
Vaccination mandates at schools have existed in some form for more than 150 years.
McCarthy’s critics had no patience for his all-caps message:
NO VACCINE HOLDOUTS. https://t.co/220CPNib17
— Dennis Herring (@dcherring) September 12, 2021
GOP leader officially supports the spread of smallpox, polio and COVID. https://t.co/C189uBQXib
— Jesse Ferguson (@JesseFFerguson) September 12, 2021
Did COVID-19 write this https://t.co/CxQr2njaUu
— William D. Adler (@williamadler78) September 12, 2021
Children are at risk when adults act like children. https://t.co/5wkU6iGoqc
— Jeff Schogol (@JeffSchogol) September 12, 2021
Wait until he finds out about vaccine mandates for public schools and the military. He's gonna be pissed. https://t.co/F87skoNAxS
— Collin Czilli (@CollinCzilli) September 12, 2021
DIE FOR GLORIOUS LEADER IN EXILE https://t.co/mOoDKPl6Bc
— Schooley (@Rschooley) September 12, 2021
Counter-argument: Let's defeat the pandemic to save lives and keep fueling the fastest economic growth in decades. https://t.co/8Y4ChAptI7
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) September 12, 2021
PERIOD VS. EXCLAMATION POINT WAS AN UNEXPECTED PUNCTUATION CHOICE. https://t.co/ZBqc1hDksY
— Jennifer M. Wood (@j_m_wood) September 12, 2021
NO TRAITORS IN CONGRESS. https://t.co/Rbp2toeCcD
— Bob Levine (@idguy) September 12, 2021
If it weren't for the fact that McCarthy knows this, but also knows the rubes he needs don't, I'd feel the need to remind him for the gazillionth time that vaccine mandates are perfectly Constitutional both historically and through SCOTUS precedent from Jacobson v. Massachusetts. https://t.co/Lh2OO88Ve8
— Matt Winfough 🇺🇸💉 (@MattWinfough) September 12, 2021
Republicans are a death cult https://t.co/2JyBM0wCagpic.twitter.com/MPmbQbo08B
— Rhonda Harbison (@RonnieMotes8) September 12, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.