GOP Rep. Who Came Under Fire Over ‘Beer Virus’ Joke Apologizes

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) arrives to hold a news conference with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) outside of the Capitol to discuss the introduction of two bipartisan marijuana bills on March 7, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
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Rep. Don Young (R-AK) apologized on Thursday for encouraging Alaskans to “go forth with our everyday activities” despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and mocking the coronavirus as “a beer virus.”

Young posted a video in which he acknowledged that the impact of the disease is “very real.”

“Weeks ago, I did not fully grasp the severity of this crisis,” he said. “But clearly we are in the midst of an urgent public health emergency.”

The GOP lawmaker, who had made the comments during a meeting with senior citizens, said in his apology video that the virus “is especially threatening our senior citizens, which I am one, and those with underlying conditions.”

Young urged people to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines on social distancing.

“Listen to the CDC and stay home,” he said.

During the meeting two weeks ago, Young had accused the media of exaggerating the outbreak. On Thursday, he softened his criticism somewhat.

“These have also been stressful times for our families,” the congressman said. “Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to the news stories, including social media.”

Watch the video below:

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Notable Replies

  1. Bygones!

    Hoping we get an apology from this wraithed, sycophantic sellout at some point too.

  2. Avatar for danny danny says:

    Beer virus? Beer virus? Oh, I get it. Never mind.

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    He’s in Congress, for Pete’s sake, with access to Intelligence briefings, public health experts, etc. And even while several of his Republican colleagues took it seriously enough to use their inside information to make stock trades -though apparently not to warn their constituents -he was still soft-peddling the danger to his constituents. He has no excuse for that behavior. All of this was foreseeable, and, in fact, was forseen.

  4. Young apologizing? Why? I loved his comedy routine about the lack of amenities at Auschwitz.

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