Brian Kilmeade, who has been arguing to lift Covid-19 lockdown measures, and other Fox talking heads did not have much support for people in the Ozarks partying in viral videos and ignoring social distancing measures.
“It destroys my argument that we are reacting responsibly as a country,” Kilmeade said on Fox News’ ‘Outnumbered’ on Tuesday when talking about the footage out of Missouri over the Memorial Day weekend.
Viral videos show huge crowds partying it up over Memorial Day weekend in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri pic.twitter.com/PjtCiHYOBy
The ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host has been one of the network’s sharpest critics of lockdown orders across the US, but the Ozarks video took him by surprise and he admits that irresponsible social gathering “ruins it for everyone.”
“I’m saying to myself, ‘How do I go out and trumpet the responsibility of the American people to stand up for our economy when I see that?’” Kilmeade asked.
Despite the setback, Kilmeade still supports rolling back lockdown measures to help save small businesses and to give citizens more choice in how they conduct their daily lives.
“The consumers will decide whether to go to the gym or the restaurant,” he said. “That is all our decisions. Right now you’re not letting us make those decisions. That’s an example of a poor decision, but I think mostly the American people got the message. Lesson learned, for the most part, except for those examples.”
While Fox News is home to some of the most consistent critics of state governments responding to Covid-19 with quarantine measures, the tone took a decidedly different turn in the wake of the Ozarks video.
“I’m very disturbed about this,” Fox News contributor Marc Siegel said in reaction. He recommended the party-goers self-quarantine for two weeks or “we’re going to end up having a big problem,” something Kilmeade “guarantees” is not going to happen based on the footage.
Those arguing against reopening the country for fear of another outbreak of Covid-19 have expressed just as much anger over the Missouri video, but used it as a sign that continued lockdown measures are needed.
I mean who could possibly have foreseen this post-reopening scene in Missouri except EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN? pic.twitter.com/ym0fOksFfc
According to the Missouri Department of Health, the state has over 12,000 cases of Covid-19 and over 600 deaths. The state however has begun allowing businesses to reopen in the past few days as they have seen numbers slow, something critics say will be threatened as more people flock to businesses.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said the behavior displayed in the Ozarks video “threatens the progress we’ve all made together to flatten the curve” in the state.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has meanwhile admitted people in the video made “poor choices,” but he insists he has witnessed most in his state abiding by social distancing guidelines.
