Rudy Giuliani says he is going home today, just a few days after checking into the hospital for coronavirus.
But even while he admits he needed “a miracle” to get better, Giuliani’s opinion of the virus didn’t change with his diagnosis. When former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie battled coronavirus, he acknowledged his view on the pandemic had changed. The same can’t be said for the president’s attorney. On a conservative radio show, Giuliani remarked:
“I have exactly the same view. You know, I’ve also been through cancer, a couple of other things — very serious, very serious, emergency knee operation. Things happen in life, and you have to go with them. You can’t overreact to them. Otherwise, you let the fear of illness drive your entire life.” He even went on to say, “you can overdo the masks.”
But Giuliani’s message is a dangerous one for those who don’t have access to the same health care options he was afforded. In The Daily Beast, conservative columnist Matt Lewis points out:
For the rich and powerful, there’s always room at the inn. Or hospital. And while we all hope for his speedy recovery, this is the latest sign that a pattern of privilege has emerged. It goes like this: Having tempted fate by refusing to social distance or wear masks, Trump and his team contract the virus. Next, they receive world-class medical treatment. Last, they quickly recover.
He adds, “The problem with these quick recoveries is that they demonstrate (to people who are the most susceptible to this message) that COVID-19 isn’t really a big deal.”
Yahoo adds that Giuliani seems to be pleading ignorance to the disparities in healthcare he received versus the average person.
Giuliani revealed that he has received two of the same medications Trump took during his hospitalization for COVID-19: remdesivir and dexamethasone. One of the radio hosts told Giuliani the drugs are “not something that the normal American is going to be able to get, because it’s quite expensive.” Giuliani deflected, saying he “didn’t know that. I mean, they give it to us here at the hospital.”