Rand Paul says Americans should push back on lockdowns, mask mandates

close

Video

Fauci flip-flops, wants schools open

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., reacts on ‘America’s Newsroom.’

Americans should push back on mask mandates and broad lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Rand Paul said on Tuesday, arguing that policymakers need to "reassess" the effectiveness of such actions.

“We have mask mandates in dozens of states and countries and every — without fail, every time we’ve instituted a mandate the actual incidence of the disease has risen. So there is no evidence that these mandates are working and we’re crippling the economy. Maybe we ought to reassess what we’re doing,” Paul told “America’s Newsroom.”

“I think there are reasonable things you can do in school. For the small children, I wouldn’t have them wearing masks. I don’t think it makes any difference. We ought to reassess what we’re doing on this."

 FAUCI: 'CLOSE THE BARS, KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN' TO MITIGATE COMMUNITY SPREAD

Top American health officials are trying to focus efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic via the asymptomatic spread, which may contribute as much as 50% of infections.

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams were in lockstep during a series of appearances on Sunday morning talk shows, pushing the message that the asymptomatic spread is an unchecked element that is driving the severity of the pandemic. 

"We say it, not being facetiously or having a soundbite or anything, but you know: close the bars, keep the schools open, is what we really say," Fauci told Martha Raddatz on ABC's "This Week." "Obviously, you don't have one size fits all, but as I've said in the past, and as you accurately quoted me – the default position should be as best as possible, within reason, to keep the children in school and get them back to school."

Fauci noted that the spread of COVID-19 between children was "low," especially compared to other areas. Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered all public schools to move to total virtual learning, a move that drew a sharp backlash from parents across the city. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Paul objected to the school closing mandate due to the fact that children are “poor transmitters” of the coronavirus. Paul also said that mask mandates “illustrate the danger of centralizing power and decision making in one person or in Washington” considering when they have been “so wrong as Dr. Fauci has been.” 

Paul said that Fauci’s decisions have had “grave effects for school children,” notwithstanding the “evidence has been clear for six months in Europe and Asia that schools don’t lead to a surge.” 

“Trying to take precautions is reasonable. But there are now people saying -- Dr. Fauci included -- when we have a vaccine, you will still have to wear a mask. 

“People do need to push back. I’m one of those who are immune and keep pushing back. 13 million Americans have had this. We don’t need to tell them they have to wear a mask. Immunity is working. It is working as well as a vaccine. When we get the vaccine hopefully we can all be free of these encumbrances.”

Fox News' Peter Aitken contributed to this report.