Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said Sunday that Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul exhibited “irresponsible” behavior while awaiting results of his coronavirus test.
U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) returns to the chamber following a recess at the U.S. Capitol during U.S. President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial in Washington, U.S., Jan. 31, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda Voisard
Paul announced Sunday that the result of that test was positive and he does have the COVID-19 virus.
Sinema tweeted that Paul’s alleged actions were “absolutely irresponsible. You cannot be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results. It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus.”
I’ve never commented about a fellow Senator’s choices/actions. Never once.
This, America, is absolutely irresponsible. You cannot be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results. It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus. https://t.co/651TJf8mWf
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 22, 2020
Republican Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran reportedly discussed Paul allegedly using the Senate gym and pool on Sunday before getting the results back of his testing.
During the Senate GOP lunch today, Moran told colleagues that Rand was at the gym this morning, per two sources briefed on the lunch, and that he was swimming in the pool. Rand got his COVID-19 results back this morning.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) March 22, 2020
Republican Arizona Sen. Martha McSally retweeted Sinema’s post on Paul, saying that she “couldn’t agree more @krystensinema. As we ask all Americans to sacrifice their livelihoods and alter their behavior to save lives, we must ourselves model appropriate #coronavirus behavior.” McSally suggested that “no one is too important” to ignore basic health advice and not to “self-quarantine pending test results.”
I couldn’t agree more @kyrstensinema. As we ask all Americans to sacrifice their livelihoods and alter their behavior to save lives, we must ourselves model appropriate #coronavirus behavior. No one is too important to disregard guidance to self-quarantine pending test results. https://t.co/0zQx8yrJA4
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) March 23, 2020
The issue came up on Monday on “Morning Joe,” with host Joe Scarborough upbraiding Paul.
“If you were tested to see if you have a pandemic or not, and while you’re awaiting the results of the test you go to a Senate gym, you go … swimming at the Senate swimming pool … that’s as reckless as you get. It goes against every guideline that every public professional has given. Rand Paul has now put the entire United States Senate actually in a horrible position.”
Paul is the first United States senator known to have contracted the disease.
The Daily Caller has contacted Rand’s Senate office for comment and is awaiting a response.