Senator Kyrsten Sinema rebuked her colleague, Sen. Rand Paul, over a report that he had used the Senate gym and pool while he was awaiting results on his coronavirus test.
The Arizona Democrat took to Twitter to call out Paul’s “irresponsible” actions, reacting to a tweet from Washington Post reporter Seung Min Kim who said, per sources, that Paul had used the gym and swimming pool shortly before receiving his positive test results on Sunday.
“You cannot be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results. It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus,” Sinema tweeted.
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
The office for Paul, the first senator who has tested positive for coronavirus, announced later Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, was “feeling fine and is in quarantine.”
Following the accusations, the Kentucky Republican’s Twitter account fired back, asserting he had left the Senate “immediately” after learning of his diagnosis.
“Insinuations such as those below that he went to the gym after learning of his results are just completely false & irresponsible!” the tweet read.
We want to be clear, Senator Paul left the Senate IMMEDIATELY upon learning of his diagnosis. He had zero contact with anyone & went into quarantine. Insinuations such as those below that he went to the gym after learning of his results are just completely false & irresponsible! https://t.co/yqfxydsXBG
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020
CNN’s Manu Raju jumped in with several tweets Sunday showing Paul “seated next to other senators” during a GOP lunch on Friday and citing a source who had told Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas about Paul using the pool and gym.
GOP senators have continued to meet daily during lunch over the last week. They are meeting in a larger room but still seated next to each other in round circular tables. Paul’s office announced today he has tested positive for the coronavirus
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 22, 2020
I took a picture inside the Senate GOP lunch when the door was open Friday and saw Rand Paul seated next to other senators. He is visible in this photo. pic.twitter.com/4qwZo5YdBs
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 22, 2020
Paul was at the Senate gym today and Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas told senators at lunch he saw Paul in the swimming pool today, per a source in the lunch
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 22, 2020
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah spoke about being near Paul during the luncheon.
Here’s Mitt Romney telling reporters that a group of senators had lunch with Rand Paul on Friday and he’s now seeking advice as to whether he should self-quarantine pic.twitter.com/Y0uuww7rYe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 22, 2020
CNN’s Jake Tapper related the timeline of events leading up to Paul’s departure from the Senate after his test results were learned, and pointing out the senator’s lung issues after he was attacked in his yard by his neighbor in 2017.
A source close to Senator Rand Paul explains the events of the last couple weeks:
A week and a half or so ago, Sen. Paul shut down his offices because of the coronavirus, telling his staff to work from home.
1/
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 22, 2020
6/ Afterwards he got the results of the test and learned he had tested positive.
As soon as he heard that, the source says, he left the Senate immediately.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 22, 2020
Sinema’s criticism of Paul was challenged multiple times by others on Twitter where she defended her rebuke by asserting that the facts “are not contested.”
He went to the gym this morning while awaiting his test results.
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 22, 2020
It was not. Senator Paul said he went home when he received his test results. He went swimming at the gym this morning before his results came back.
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 22, 2020
Rand Paul went to the gym this morning and swam in the pool before he got his test results. He also attended votes last week on Wednesday and at least two Republican caucus lunches on Th and Fri. This was after testing, before results. These facts are not contested.
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 23, 2020
Meanwhile, CNN political reporter Abby Phillip asked one question that many had overlooked.
It makes no sense that the senate gym and pool were both open. Why??
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 22, 2020
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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