Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared to compare state-enforced mask mandates to putting on pants while speaking on a discussion panel Friday.
While speaking on a COVID-19 panel at the Munich Security Conference, Gates referred to the amount of “misinformation” surrounding his role in the handling of the virus to be “wild,” before appearing to mock critics of himself, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health figures. “You almost have to laugh about it. I mean, you know, Dr. Fauci and I are just killing millions of people to make money,” Gates quipped. “You know, hydroxychloroquine’s this miracle cure that … he and I have masterminded, avoiding people saving their lives by taking this thing.”
Bill Gates tells CNBC’s @_HadleyGamble there is “no doubt” misinformation enhanced vaccine hesitation, and led to deaths pic.twitter.com/TuHZ9FH0NO
— Emma Graham (@themmagraham) February 18, 2022
Gates added, “there’s no doubt that the misinformation, enhanced vaccine hesitancy and that maps to hundreds of 1000s of deaths. There’s no doubt that the idea that, you know, we need the freedom not to wear a mask, you know, and that that’s some, you know, thing that you’ve got to show that in many cases that led to spreading the disease into locations where elderly people had very high death rates.”
Gates appeared to scoff at the arguments made by politicians and individuals opposed to mask mandates, before jokingly comparing grievances against compulsory masking to those against wearing pants in public. (RELATED: 5 People We Treat As Experts Just Because They’re Rich)
When asked, Gates responded, “well, that’s interesting. You know, what is the downside of wearing a mask? I mean, it’s got to be tough. You know, you have to wear pants.” Imitating his political opponents, Gates feignedly whined, “I mean, this is tough. Stop. These societies are so cruel. Why did they make you wear pants? I’m trying to figure it out,” eliciting the laughter of the rest of the panel, which included Canadian and Swedish foreign affairs ministers Melanie Joly and Anne Linde, and International Crisis Group CEO Comfort Ero.