State Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, took on vaccines and mask requirements during a “Don’t Fauci Our Wyoming” rally at the Wyoming State Capitol on Monday evening, at one point referring to Gov. Mark Gordon and state Public Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist as liars.
Bouchard kicked off the rally by telling a story about when his daughter was critically sick in 2017 and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. The Bouchard family was sent to the Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, where his daughter was given hydroxychloroquine, a Z-pack of antibiotics and steroids.
Four days later, she was much better.
“I often wonder if God put that in front of me for some reason,” Bouchard said. “Think about what’s going on here. We’ve got Australia on full lockdown and Israel, where they’re taking more vaccinations than anywhere. The health director said 40% of people are getting [COVID-19] all over again. Now they’re talking about a third shot. If we follow their plan, where are we going to be?”
It was the issue of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus that prompted Bouchard’s allegations that Gordon and Harrist were lying about its effectiveness.
He went on to ask rhetorically who made Gordon a medical doctor.
Bouchard operates a septic tank pump company.
Bouchard told the crowd he was one of the few Wyoming legislators who have actually spoken with Harrist, who gave him “CNN talking points” about why medical professionals can’t use hydroxychloroquine as a cure against COVID-19.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against using hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure due to reports of serious heart rhythm problems and other safety issues, including blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries and liver problems and failure.
Bouchard said even with facemask requirements in place in some states and the growing number of people who have been given the coronavirus vaccine, some officials are discussing business lockdowns again to slow the spread of COVID.
“They’re moving the ball to lockdown again, because there isn’t a real option here,” Bouchard said. “Their plan’s not working. As we see companies [mandating vaccines], what the hell kind of America do we have? Somebody is going to take something and make you put it in your veins, even if you don’t approve? Is that America?”
Gordon told reporters on Monday, just a few hours before Bouchard’s rally, that there would be no lockdowns or mask or vaccine mandates coming from his office. However, he said he would let cities, counties and school districts make their own decisions about mask mandates.
The senator also told the crowd that Wyoming needed a governor who would appoint a state health officer who knows how to read and can also look past the “noise coming out of Washington, D.C.”