A US lawmaker, Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Texas, stirred up controversy when he made a very unsavory statement on a live television interview.

Last month, Patrick had been criticized for making the statement that for suggesting that the most high-risk group to the new novel coronavirus strain, COVID-19, the elderly, would be willing to risk their health and even lives in order for the United States to “get back to work” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Those of us who are 70 plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country,” Patrick had said on Fox News.’

A month later, in a new interview for the same show he said that "We are crushing the economy," and defended his earlier controversial statement by saying that, "There are more important things than living. And that's saving this country for my children and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us."

He added that while he, personally, didn't want to die but there had to be 'some risks to get back in the game and get this country back up and running."

Patrick also added that he would turn 70 the coming week and that he didn't fear COVID-19, but feared that stay-at-home orders and economic upheaval would destroy 'the American way of life.'

USA's death toll due to the coronavirus currently stands at 45,297, the highest in the world so far.