Earlier this week, President Donald Trump retweeted Chuck Woolery’s tweet stating that “Everyone is lying [about COVID-19]. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election.” In a surprising twist, Woolery deactivated his Twitter account not long afterward.
Woolery, a former TV game show host for Love Connection and Wheel of Fortune, announced the news that his own son had tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after the initial tweet.
“To further clarify and add perspective, Covid-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” Woolery stated.
Woolery had been receiving backlash for his conspiracy theory that the Democrats were using the COVID-19 crisis to affect the elections as well as for his tweet that supported the reopening of schools in the fall, particularly after Trump retweeted his words to his millions of followers.
On his podcast, Blunt Force Truth, Woolery clarified his position by saying, “There’s nowhere I used ‘hoax’ or ‘it’s not real’ or anything like that. I just said we’ve been lied to.”
Mark Young, Woolery’s spokesperson and the co-host of Blunt Force Truth, told CNN that Woolery’s account will not be gone forever. “He is just taking a break from the abuse he has received from thousands of intolerant people who purposefully mislead people on his statement, including the media.” He also stated that “Chuck’s son is fine and asymptomatic.”
Woolery’s Twitter account was deleted on Wednesday, but his records still exist on internet archives.
