Fox News host Tucker Carlson has slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over new rules requiring proof of vaccination for COVID-19 to enter many businesses, calling the order a violation of privacy and civil rights.
In his opening monologue on Tuesday, Carlson lashed out at de Blasio over the strict new vaccine rules, calling the Democrat 'not only famously incompetent but physically unclean.'
The order, which took effect on Tuesday as new COVID cases soar in the city and across the nation, requires proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and gyms or fitness centers.
'Of the 340 million Americans now living in this country, Bill de Blasio is the single last person you'd go to for medical advice. His diet consists almost exclusively of bong hits and Pringles,' said Carlson in scathing remarks.
'There's no chance he brushes his teeth every day. Your 17-year-old stoner nephew has much better personal hygiene,' he added.
'And yet, somehow, because Bill de Blasio still has political power due to the fact that a tiny group of people once voted for him, Bill de Blasio has decided to overrule practicing physicians and force his subjects to take medicine they may or may not need, and in some cases that might hurt them, whether they want to or not. That's the rule,' added Carlson.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in scathing remarks over the new vaccine mandate in the city
'His diet consists almost exclusively of bong hits and Pringles,' Carlson said of de Blasio, seen above on Tuesday with Ghostface Killah and Raekwon at a Staten Island concert
Katz's Deli customers show their proof of vaccinations, in order to be able to eat inside the restaurant on Tuesday in New York, following a new vaccine mandate
The mayor's office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Wednesday morning regarding de Blasio's diet and Carlson's criticism.
The vaccination mandate, which de Blasio announced two weeks ago, aims to persuade more people to get vaccinated with the threat of missing out on city amenities.
'We do not want to go back to restrictions,' de Blasio said at a virtual news conference Tuesday. 'The key to our progress is vaccination.'
At least 5.2 million of the city's 8.8 million residents have gotten at least one shot, with nearly 5 million fully vaccinated.
But the campaign has taken on new urgency as cases rise, with New York City averaging 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus a day over the past seven days, up from around 200 a day in late June.
Businesses have a grace period until September 13 to begin implementing vaccine checkpoints before facing $1,000 fines, but many bars and restaurants are already demanding proof of vaccination to enter.
De Blasio shows a list of businesses that now must demand proof of vaccination to enter -- including grocery stores with indoor dining
Bill de Blasio crosses his arms in the 'intersectional salute' with Senator Chuck Schumer and DJ Ralph McDaniels at a concert in the Bronx on Monday
'Hey politicians, get your hands off my body. That would be The Handmaid's Tale. Remember? Turns out they didn't mean it,' argued Carlson
In his remarks, Carlson argued that the new rule was an invasion of medical privacy, accusing Democrats of hypocrisy for supporting vaccine mandates while opposing government bans on abortion.
'For decades they've told us that medical decisions can only be made between you and your personal physician. That is a sacred pact. Politicians have no right to tell doctors what to do,' he said.
'Hey politicians, get your hands off my body. That would be The Handmaid's Tale. Remember? Turns out they didn't mean it,' argued Carlson.
The conservative pundit also slammed the new rules as a potential violation of civil rights.
'Oh, it's totally easy. Just show your medical papers. And this applies only to COVID, by the way. No one is checking your hepatitis or HIV status,' Carlson remarked.
'That would be terrible. But COVID, yes. It's absolutely required or you're not allowed to eat,' he said.
'All you need is proof of vaccination and identification. But wait a minute. Weren't we told it's racist to require ID for voting, but now it's not racist to require ID for people to go inside of buildings in our largest city?' he continued.
'So what does this mean for the 72 percent of young African Americans who are not vaccinated? They're not going to be able to go anywhere. So this policy, by the principles of equity, has a disparate impact,' said Carlson.
'It affects some groups more profoundly than others. And the group most affected by this is young African Americans,' he added.
Visitors are required to show vaccine paperwork and ID to enter Madame Tussaud's on Tuesday. Carlson pointed out that Democrats claim ID requirements for voting are racist
Carlson pointed out there are racial disparities in vaccination rates, with just 28% of black NYC residents between the ages of 18 and 44 now fully vaccinated
City data show that only 28 percent of black NYC residents between the ages of 18 and 44 are fully vaccinated, compared to 49 percent of Hispanics, 52 percent of whites, and 82 percent of Asians in the same age group.
Carlson asked: 'So how can it stand? Where's the civil rights division of the Justice Department? Aren't they jumping on this?'
'Bill de Blasio didn't explain any of that. People with power don't need to explain themselves anymore,' he continued.
'If you don't comply, you're going to jail. Not for looting. That's fine in New York now. It's reparations. But failing to follow a law no one voted for and show your papers in a restaurant, that's something Bill de Blasio will not accept,' said Carlson.
Since New York announced its vaccine mandate, New Orleans and San Francisco have issued similar orders for patrons and staff of indoor businesses.
Nevada´s governor enacted a similar policy this week, and the Las Vegas Raiders responded by becoming the first NFL team to require proof of vaccination to attend games in 2021.
Los Angeles is considering similar measures. All are led by Democratic mayors, underscoring the political divide over mandates on vaccines, masks and other measures.
The vaccine mandates are fraught with complications, as restaurant servers, bartenders and ticket agents at already understaffed businesses now must enforce the vaccination rules.
Mindful that another economic shutdown could be disastrous, some restaurant and bar owners are embracing the the mandates as a way to control the virus and keep their doors open.
Others - particularly in parts of the city where people have resisted getting the vaccine - worry it will be a fatal blow to businesses that were prevented for months last year from serving patrons indoors.
Mary Josephine Generoso, manager of pastry shop and diner Pasticceria Rocco in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, told DailyMail.com the city is 'segregating people' with the vaccine mandate.
'It's discriminatory - the mayor and the city of New York is asking us to segregate based on vaccine status,' she said.
'To put up a sign saying only vaccinated people can enter is segregating people. It would be like changing the words vaccinated and unvaccinated to black and white, or Muslim and Catholic, or gay or heterosexual,' she said.
'De is segregating people - it's the same as him saying you can't let a gay person in your business,' said Generoso.
The mayor fired back at the backlash in a press conference Tuesday morning saying 'this is not discrimination, it's about protecting people' and insisting the mandate will help boost uptake of the vaccine.
'It's nonsense,' said 47-year-old New Yorker Samuel, who is vaccinated but believes it should be a personal choice, in an interview with AFP.
'It's un-American. I don't like being forced to do something,' he added, while eating lunch at an Irish pub in Manhattan.
Mary Josephine Generoso, manager of pastry shop and diner Pasticceria Rocco in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, told DailyMail.com the city is 'segregating people' with the vaccine mandate
Others are eager to comply. Alton Thibodeaux, 74, and his wife Jean happily held their paper vaccination cards as they waited to have lunch at a French restaurant in New York on Tuesday
A customer shows proof of vaccination to a worker in Clinton Hall as the vaccine mandate commenced Tuesday in Manhattan, New York City
Others have been happy to embrace the new government rules, seeing them as the path to freedom from the pandemic.
Alton Thibodeaux, 74, and his wife Jean eagerly held their paper vaccination cards as they waited to have lunch at a French restaurant in New York on Tuesday.
They were visiting from Louisiana, which has one of America's lowest vaccine rates, and would like to see more cities adopt mandates.
'I think that's the only way we're ever gonna get rid of it,' said Thibodeaux, who is retired.
'It shouldn't be a political issue or anything like that, just get it and get this over with and everything will be fine.'
New York also launched a $10 million media blitz Tuesday as part of the city's visitor outreach.
The mayor also announced that about 100 vaccination sites will pop up at such places as gyms and that the city would send out over 600 canvassers to help.
Leon Ellis, the owner of Chocolate, a restaurant in Harlem, told the AP the sacrifices are needed to keep the virus from wreaking more havoc on businesses.
'This COVID is a big deal. So we need to do everything that we can to make sure that we get it in check,' he said. 'Whatever the guidelines are, we will comply.'
