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Texas Gov. Abbott Joins Growing Club of Coronavirus “Breakthrough Cases”

Gov. Greg Abbott

Opinion | It is interesting to observe the mainstream media’s reporting of the recent news that Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For example, the headline of an article by CNBC reads, “Texas Gov. Abbott, who banned mask and vaccine mandates, tests positive for Covid.” Another headline by Yahoo! News reads, “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who opposes vaccine and mask mandates, tests positive for COVID-19.” Another one by The Guardian reads, “Texas governor Greg Abbott, who fought mask mandates, tests positive for Covid.”1 2 3

A CNN headline reads, “Gov. Abbott tests positive for Covid-19 after months of blocking mask mandates.” One more—this one by BuzzFeed News: “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Tested Positive For COVID-19, As He Fights Mask Mandates.”4 5

There appears to be an orchestrated effort by the mainstream media of trying to convey a subtle message of poetic justice that goes something like this: “That’ll teach Abbott for being such an obstructionist on mask mandates in his state. Serves him right.” It is a message that is consistent with a disturbing and growing tendency by some Americans to shame and vilify fellow Americans who do not share their enthusiasm for every government COVID-related mandate that comes along.

Media Tries to Tie Abbott’s Coronavirus Infection to His Stance on Mask Mandates

All of these articles are supposed to be news articles, but from the start they already betray a clear political bias. Gov. Abbott and Gov. Rick DeSantis of Florida have been taking a lot of heat lately from government officials and the media for prohibiting cities and school boards in their states from passing mask mandates for children attending schools. Both Abbott and DeSantis believe that parents should decide whether or not their children wear masks in schools.6 7 8

In a statement on July 29, 2021 about the Executive Order he signed on May 18 prohibiting government entities in Texas from mandating masks,9 Gov. Abbott said:

[Parents] have the individual right and responsibility to decide for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses, and engage in leisure activities. Vaccines, which remain in abundant supply, are the most effective defense against the virus, and they will always remain voluntary—never forced—in the State of Texas7

In other words, Gov. Abbott’s order doesn’t prohibit children from wearing masks in schools, it simply prohibits Texas state authorities from forcing them to do so.

On Aug. 15, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Gov. Abbott’s mask mandate prohibition by granting a request for a “temporary, emergency stay” of an appellate court ruling that would have allowed schools in Dallas and Bexar counties to require masks. In another case involving Travis county, the Texas Supreme Court on Aug. 19 denied Gov. Abbott’s request to “block temporary restraining orders” on his mask mandate prohibition. That decision effectively allows schools that require students to wear masks, in defiance of Gov. Abbott’s mask mandate prohibition, to proceed.10

On Aug. 3, President Joe Biden called out Gov. Abbott, Gov. DeSantis and other governors for “passing laws or signing orders that forbid people from doing the right thing.” Biden noted, “As of now, seven states not only banned mask mandates, but also banned them in their school districts, even for young children who cannot get vaccinated.”7 He added:

Look, we need leadership from everyone. If some governors are not willing to do the right thing, then they should allow businesses and universities who want to do the right thing, to be able to do it. I say to these governors, please help. If you’re not going to help, at least get out of the way of the people trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives.6 7 11

More recently, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona admonished Gov. Abbott and Gov. DeSantis for their executive orders on mask mandates. In a letter to Gov. Abbott, Secretary Cardona wrote that his order “may infringe upon a school district’s authority to adopt policies to protect students and educators as they develop their safe return to in-person instruction plans required by federal law.”12 Cardona added:

The Department [of Education] stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction.12

Abbott Received Three COVID Shots and Still Got Coronavirus

The bias that is evident in some of the media coverage about Gov. Abbott’s positive test for coronavirus seems aimed at pressuring Abbott to see the error of his ways by seeking to remind him how contagious is the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the need for requiring people to abide by the federal government’s masking recommendations. But perhaps the media bias is also meant to distract from a more noteworthy detail of this story, which is that Gov. Abbott is fully vaccinated.

Gov. Abbott received the first dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s experimental messenger RNA (mRNA) biologic (known as BNT162b2 or Comirnaty vaccine) on Dec. 22, 2020 and likely received the second dose in January 2021. He reportedly received a third shot—a booster dose—as well. “Governor Abbott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms,” said Mark Miner, the governor’s communications director.13 14 15 16 17

So even with three Comirnaty shots in less than one year, Gov. Abbott still tested positive for coronavirus? That would seem to be the most relevant and concerning point on which to focus. Not his stand on mask mandates.

Gov. Abbott can now be added to the growing club of so-called “breakthrough cases” of Americans who contracted coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. The latest rough estimate of the number breakthrough cases in the United States is 193,204, as reported recently by The Wall Street Journal.18 That figure, however, is based on data provided by only by 44 state health departments and a lack of understanding of how many vaccinated Americans have been asymptomatically infected, so you can bet that the estimate is woefully low.18 19 20 21

It is worth noting that there are some media sources that have at least made an effort to highlight the relevance of Gov. Abbott’s vaccination status. NBC affiliate WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia reported, “Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID despite being fully vaccinated.” Similar examples, though, are rare


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Note: This commentary provides referenced information and perspective on a topic related to vaccine science, policy, law or ethics being discussed in public forums and by U.S. lawmakers.  The websites of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide information and perspective of federal agencies responsible for vaccine research, development, regulation and policymaking.

Click here to view References:

1 Towey R. Texas Gov. Abbott, who banned mask and vaccine mandates, tests positive for Covid. CNBC Aug. 17, 2021.
2 Knowles D. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who opposes vaccine and mask mandates, tests positive for COVID-19. Yahoo! News Aug. 17, 2021.
3 Villarreal A. Texas governor Greg Abbott, who fought mask mandates, tests positive for Covid. The Guardian Aug.17, 2021.
4 Burnett E. Gov. Abbott tests positive for Covid-19 after months of blocking mask mandates. CNN Aug.17, 2021.
5 Goba K. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Tested Positive For COVID-19, As He Fights Mask Mandates. BuzzFeed News Aug. 17, 2021.
6 Associated Press. Biden Admin Backs Texas, Florida Districts on Mask Mandates. U.S. News & World Report Aug. 13, 2021.
7 Stoddart M. Help or ‘get out of the way,’ Biden says to GOP governors on combatting pandemic. ABC News Aug. 3, 2021.
8 Sargent G. The latest GOP anti-mask lunacy is stirring a backlash. New polling reveals it. The Washington Post Aug. 17, 2021.
9 Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott. Governor Abbott Issues Executive Order 36 Prohibiting Government Entities From Mandating Masks. Governor, The State of Texas May 18, 2021.
10 Kornfield M, Bella T. Texas Supreme Court rejects Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates — for nowThe Washington Post Aug. 20, 2021.
11 Datoc C. White House turns up the heat on DeSantis and Abbott over masks. Washington Examiner Aug. 3, 2021.
12 Green EL. The education secretary criticizes two Republican governors over their bans on school mask mandates. The New York Times Aug. 16, 2021.
13 KTRK. Gov. Greg Abbott receives COVID-19 vaccine. ABC 13 Eyewitness News Dec. 22, 2021.
14 Williams M. Facts about Texas Gov. Abbott’s COVID-19 diagnosis and his record on mask mandates and vaccines. The Dallas Morning News Aug. 17, 2021.
15 Office of the Governor Greg Abbott. Make Sure To Get Your Second #COVID19 Vaccine Dose. Facebook Apr. 27, 2021.
16 Clark D. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for Covid after banning mask, vaccine mandates. NBC News Aug. 17, 2021.
17 Press release. Office Of The Governor Statement Concerning Governor Abbott. Governor, The State of Texas Aug. 17, 2021.
18 Whelan R, Hopkins JS. As Delta Surges, Covid-19 Breakthrough Cases Remain Uncommon. The Wall Street Journal Aug. 17, 2021.
19 Cáceres M. Coronavirus Spreading Among the Vaccinated in Highly Vaccinated Countries. The Vaccine Reaction July 25, 2021.
20 Cáceres M. If You’re Vaccinated, You’re Protected… or Not. The Vaccine Reaction July 11, 2021.
21 Cáceres M. Vaccinated Americans are Being Hospitalized for COVID and Dying. The Vaccine Reaction Aug. 15, 2021.
22 WAVY News. Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID despite being fully vaccinated. WAVY-TV Aug. 17, 2021.

18 Responses

  1. I’m thrilled he and Governor DeSantis have mask and shot passport moratoriums. Still, they all should be taking supplements even with the shot. Why aren’t their wives researching this if they are too busy to do this?

  2. The media is trying to do the same thing to Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, who refuses the vaccine on moral grounds (its devlopment and/or manufacture utilizing cell lines cultured from a baby murdered in an abortion). He also encourages the faithful to seek moral alternatives in combating the virus.

    Ten days ago, he tested positive for “covid” and soon ended up in the hospital ICU on a ventilator, while the media practically danced on his grave with “serves him right” narratives.

    This weekend, responding to treatment, the Cardinal was removed from the ventilator and ICU and returned to a regular hospital room, after Catholic faithful beseeched Almighty God in Heaven with prayers for healing and recovery. Bet there’s nary a peep about that part in the media also.

    PS did we mention Cardinal Burke is one of the 4 Cardinals who formally questioned letters issued to the Catholic Church by media darling Pope Francis, in which the pope seemed to imply adultery and sacrilege of the Blessed Sacrament (among other things) are permissible, contradicting two millennia of the Church teaching what Christ taught the Apostles. So this bout of illness is not the first time the media has attacked him for not going along with the party line when it contradicts the facts.

    1. I;m so glad that so many folks prayed for cardinal burke, and that God answered their prayers. Now Burke has immunity toward covid and any of its variants, and has the best case not to have to take the jab; he no longer needs it!

  3. Well there is more to the story than the regular media is willing to tell you… After three mRNA experimental jabs and testing positive for Covid…four days later, this same governor, Gov. Abbott, the man in this picture, also tested NEGATIVE for the Covid. Go figure. Their tests are garbage, just like their “vaccines“. Isn’t it interesting how the media there’s supposed to be doing all those “reporting” is not telling us that the Virus causing all of this mess supposedly has never been isolated in a laboratory on earth. What are we actually all testing positive and negative for? The common cold, the regular seasonal flu, who knows at this point. It’s all lies, smoke and mirrors. virus causing all of this mess supposedly has never been isolated in a laboratory on earth. What are we actually all testing positive and negative for? The common cold? the regular seasonal flu? who knows at this point. It’s all lies, smoke and mirrors. After all this time I still find it absolutely amazing that no one is dying from other things anymore. No one gets the flu anymore. And no one has heart attacks or strokes or anything anymore unless we somehow connected to these jabs and the virus. I guess no one‘s died and drunk driving accidents for an entire 18 months because I haven’t heard one stinking report. This is cured alcoholism and idiocy. Why do we think this is such a bad thing? Please forgive my sarcasm, but I just cannot believe this is still going on.

    1. I agree with your statements, Wren. I read about a man that had been arrested in canada for some covid transgression, and his defense in court was to ask the “state” to prove that there really is a covid virus that has been isolated and proven to be infecting people, and since the court could not produce evidence of that, his case was dismissed. I also read an article by an expert, stating the same, and that what people are getting infected with is a “cocktail of flu viruses and HIV viruses”.

  4. I have belonged to this group for years and am a vaccine skeptic. I have at risk children and want to thank the team for their tremendous resources which, from a scientific perspective, are important. I do however think the writer is missing an important point. The primary purpose of the vaccines is to mitigate the potential for death and severe disease. Not to completely eliminate the potential for exposure.
    How do we then mitigate the risk of spread (especially for those non-vaccinated)? Distancing, masking, increased airflow and hygiene measures have all proven successful.
    What does seem to be missing here is that everyone must consider not only themselves but those most vulnerable (unable to take vaccines or choose not to). I would reverse the logic and ask why would one not mask and in a public setting if we know that we can reduce the potential for spread of something that is killing vulnerable people, breaking our healthcare system and putting our world at the brink?
    Could/should someone mask up (or be asked to) and ensure that they make every effort not to expose others to something that could kill the unvaccinated….I have depression era parents who gave up food, their professions, their way of life to protect our country and our allies… where did our sense of community and oneness go?

    1. Meg, I respect your position, but I think we have to be careful stating that distancing and masking have all proven successful. There are no ‘good’ studies that I’ve seen showing that cloth masks due anything to reduce spread. I believe the vulnerable must be protected by wearing properly fitted N95 masks themselves when they must be out (or their household members). The rest of the healthy population needs to go about as normal, letting the virus spread among the healthy, gaining natural immunity, and putting this virus out of commission. That, in my opinion, and many others, is the best way to help the vulnerable (AS WELL AS PROPHYLACTIC and EARLY Treatment!!!)

  5. What I can’t believe is how many of the politicians all over the world don’t question this lunacy? What’s in it for them? Surely they don’t think this is OK, even with all the deaths and injuries?

  6. Thank you all. Wren, I couldn‘t have said it better. So true!
    When are the TV zombies going to wake up? When we all get fried in the EMF smart grid endgame the weforum.org et al has designed for the World? With biodigital convergence?

  7. It is not mentioned that Gov. Abbott took the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment. That is why he tested negative so quickly.

  8. They don’t want people using inexpensive, easily available remedies for this virus. It’s a money game. Ivermectin is inexpensive and effective. Diet and nutrition are never discussed even though 80% of infected are Vit D3 deficient.

  9. Lisa, I agree with you completely, let the at-risk people mask up with the proper masking and let the rest go about their lives. I got covid a month ago and yes I had most of the symptoms and it took about 10 days for me to recover but I am doing fine and never had to go to the hospital. I have no plans of ever taking the vaccine.

  10. Excuse me, but aside from the fact that the tests were never intended to be used as a diagnostic, according to its creator and the CDC manual on the RT-PCR tests, isn’t there another quite simple factor going on here?

    Since the test is designed to test for a spike protein genome and Governor Abbott was injected 3 times in a year with shots that are designed to produce spike proteins in the body, would it not be expected that if you test for spike proteins that he would test positive?

    Would that not be a logical expected outcome of the Governor’s actions versus the outcome of the test?

    This issue seems to me quite absurd to even be a point of discussion.

    If this is the state of so-called modern science that common sense logic is ignored, is it any wonder that the shots that are killing and harming tens of thousands of people are still being forced on the public?

    It shouldn’t be. Not only are we governed by fools, but fools who accept the validity of cases like this are just as foolish. The blind leading the blind in spades.

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