Thread by @MinnesotaDFL

THREAD: The @mngop is holding their state convention today so we're exploring how their party is handling the COVID-19 crisis.

Truth is, the @mngop cracked under pressure. They spread conspiracy theories and played political games when Minnesotans needed their help #mnleg #mnpol

Let's start with the @mngop's pushing fake news and conspiracy theories.

Over 88,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. It is vital that the public has the best information so they can make safe & smart decisions.

Instead, @mngop officials have spread disinformation constantly.

MN GOP Senator @drscottjensen has been lying constantly about the US inflating the COVID-19 death toll, when the opposite is true.

Those lies have been promoted by conspiracy theorists like InfoWars and propaganda outlets like Russia Today. #mnleg
startribune.com/as-minnesota-s…

Jensen has been castigated for encouraging people to distrust public health officials to score partisan political points, including in the New York Times.

Jensen undermining trust in experts during a public health crisis isn't just wrong, it's dangerous.
nytimes.com/2020/05/09/us/…

Multiple Minnesota Republicans, including @drscottjensen, @JimHagedornMN, and the @mnsrc shared a widely debunked video of two California ER doctors attacking the need for public safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. YouTube even removed the video because it was bogus.

The College of Emergency Physicians and the American of Emergency Medicine said they "emphatically condemn" that video, and said it's "reckless and untested" and "inconsistent with current science" and said the doctors put it out to "advance their personal financial interests."

So, to repeat, Minnesota Republicans shared a fake news video telling people to take unsafe actions like refusing masks and disobey Stay at Home Orders, all while the pandemic has continued to spread throughout America.

The @mnsrc's post of the video was seen over 140,000 times.

MN GOP Senate Candidate @LewisForMN promoted a debunked conspiracy theory that people will be forced to get tattoos to prove they've been vaccinated.

Using fake news to encourage Minnesotans to distrust an eventual COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous and wrong.
citypages.com/news/whats-thi…

Despite having no public health expertise whatsoever, @LewisForMN also promoted the idea that COVID-19 is no more deadly than the flu (which isn't true) and that it's just a "wintertime sickness" (which isn't true).
citypages.com/news/jason-lew…

Then you have @rcchamberlain1, the GOP Chair of the Senate Tax Committee. Chamberlain has liked tweets promoting the tattoo conspiracy and calling Bill Gates a "pedo cuck," tweets calling for Fauci to be fired & arrested and tweets attacking protective measures like masks. #mnleg

Chamberlain has also liked tweets promoting the QAnon movement, HR 6666, and the Illuminati.

None of that is real. It's a bunch of conspiratorial nonsense.

This is not normal. Republican leaders are buying into and spreading dangerous misinformation during a crisis. #mnleg

Another piece of the Minnesota Republican COVID Crack-Up has been their insistence on playing politics during this pandemic.

@kdaudt and MN House Republicans are trying to block a big jobs bill to force an end to Minnesota's state of emergency. startribune.com/minnesota-hous…

It's appalling that House Republicans would try holding holding up a bill to put thousands of Minnesotans into good-paying jobs to force an end to the popular safety measures that have stopped Minnesota from becoming another New York.

This is partisan politics at its worst.

The Chair of the @mngop, @jkcarnah, accused Democrats of "extreme communist control" because the city of Minneapolis temporarily closed beaches.

This *absurd* accusation helped ratchet up partisan tensions when that was the last thing Minnesota needed. fox9.com/news/minnesota…

After WI's disastrous in-person spring election, which infected both voters and volunteers with COVID-19, DFLers pushed to expand vote by mail to make voting safer.

Republicans blocked it for partisan political reasons, putting people's safety at risk. minnpost.com/community-voic…

We're likely to see a second major wave of COVID-19 cases in the fall. Expanding vote by mail would ensure nobody has to choose between their vote and their health.

Republicans said no. They'd rather see more people sick than than more people voting.
cnn.com/2020/05/02/hea…

.@mngop Congressman & @NRCC Chair @tomemmer voted against a bill to make COVID-19 testing free for all Americans, expand paid sick leave, and boost unemployment benefits.

Emmer put partisan politics ahead of the millions of Americans struggling right now.
minnesotareformer.com/2020/03/14/u-s…

Throughout this crisis, Minnesota Republicans have also displayed a truly shameful level of indifference to the suffering people are going through. #mnleg

Time and time again, they've made light of the suffering people are experiencing and failed to take COVID-19 seriously.

Somehow, Republican @RepMaryFranson thought it was appropriate to create a "COVID-19 Memes" page to poke fun at the virus that's now killed over 88,000 Americans.

The failure of empathy @RepMaryFranson displayed is as shocking as it is appalling.
citypages.com/news/rep-mary-…

Republican @SenatorEichorn posted a video to Twitter in which he said that, since homeless Minnesotans are sleeping on the streets in tents, we should prematurely open resorts and campgrounds.

Eichorn's indifference to the suffering of homeless Minnesotans is shameful.

Senator @drscottjensen, who this thread opened on, decided to go golfing during a committee hearing partially about helping folks struggling with substance use disorder during this pandemic.

At a time when millions are out of work, the least Jensen can do is show up to his job.

Meanwhile, DFLers have been leading a steady, measured, and compassionate response to the COVID-19 crisis.

In the absence of any real plan from the White House, @GovTimWalz has been working hard to keep Minnesotans safe and expand our state's testing and treatment capacity.

82% of Minnesotans approve of the strong leadership shown by @GovTimWalz as he works to surge Minnesota's testing capacity and defend the health and well-being of Minnesotans everywhere.
kstp.com/politics/kstps…

Senator @TinaSmithMN has been pushing our federal government to expand both testing capacity and mental health support for those suffering during this crisis.

Senator Smith is lifting up the voices & needs of those who've suffered in silence for too long.
kimt.com/content/news/S…

Senator @amyklobuchar is leading a national vote by mail push to ensure everyone can safely vote from home this fall.

Rep. @deanbphillips has been pushing for more oversight of federal COVID-19 spending to ensure funding gets to where it is needed most.
nytimes.com/2020/04/14/opi…

Speaker @melissahortman, Leader @SusanKentMN, and DFL legislators have been working on COVID-19 aid packages that help Minnesotans pay their rent, support small businesses, and expand access to vitally-important broadband internet across our state.
twincities.com/2020/05/07/hou…

.@IlhanMN is fighting to allow Americans to use SNAP benefits to buy groceries online.

Online grocery shopping helps keep both shoppers and essential workers safe, and nobody should be locked out of that based on their income.
minnpost.com/national/2020/…

.@AngieCraigMN has been a terrific advocate for a strong, coordinated federal response to getting states the PPE we need. The White House has tremendous power here to act for the good of our nation. Rep. Craig is working hard to make sure they do just that
startribune.com/angie-craig-u-…

.@VoteBetty has been a tremendous advocate for protecting our state and our nation's incredible and beautiful natural resources. The great outdoors has been a safer & calming refuge for many during this crisis, and protecting it is more important than ever
duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/column…

This is what real leadership looks like.

Millions of Minnesotans are relying on DFL elected officials to protect our livelihoods, our health, and our well-being. DFLers are doing our state proud by tackling the challenges posed by COVID-19 head on.

Instead of working with DFLers to keep Minnesotans safe, Republicans devolved into:
- baseless and dangerous conspiracy-mongering
- spreading fake news
- putting politics ahead of the people of Minnesota
- mocking the suffering inflicted on millions of Minnesotans by this virus

A lot is going to happen between now and election day.

As you’re filling out your ballot this fall, do not forget this: during the biggest crisis we've faced in decades, the
@mngop cracked under the pressure and completely failed the people of Minnesota.