It takes a big man to admit that he was right all along.

But last night, in a potent, jam-packed five minutes with Tucker Carlson on Fox, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made a clean breast of it, admitting his foresight and courage.

I'm sorry that I'm vindicated, Patrick confessed before the whole world, the Fox TV audience, and maybe even that most special Fox viewer, President Donald Trump. I’m sorry to say I was right on this.

You can watch it here, and then I have provided a transcript of an appearance that was so replete with memorable lines that it was pleasure to savor, word by word.

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Tucker Carlson: So very early on in this crisis we welcomed the lieutenant governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, onto this program and he took a very different view from that of a lot of politicians of the time. It seemed brave, agree or not, but he was savagely criticized for that. He said he was willing to assume some risk. He didn’t want to die, obviously, but he was willing to assume some risk to himself, as a man of 70, for the sake of his children and grandchildren.

Here’s part of it:

At that point Carlson played a bit of that March 23 interview with Patrick.

Dan Patrick: I’m going to do everything I can to live but, if you said, “Are you wiling to take a chance?” You know if I get sick I’ll go and try to get better but if I don’t, and I don’t try to take this in any kind of morbid way, Tucker, but I’m just saying that we got a choice here, and we are going to be in a total collapse or recession/depression/collapse in our society. If this goes another several months there won’t be any jobs to come back to for many people.

(I did a First Reading on that last appearance here.)

Returning to the present:

Carlson: Well it's been about a month since that interview and we wanted to check in again with Lt. Gov. Patrick who joins us tonight. Thanks, lieutenant governor for coming on.

So you were pretty clear in what you thought might happen in our conversation a month ago. You said if they don’t pull this back a little bit, you're gonna see a lot of people out of work and you’re going to see the economy crushed. Do you think you've been vindicated?

Patrick: Well, I'm sorry that I'm vindicated. I wish it hadn't happened Tucker, but I'm a small business guy and I've been around the block long enough to see what was going to happen when you start shutting down society, and people start losing their paychecks and businesses can’t open and governments aren't getting revenues and go on and on and on and on. And so I’m sorry to say I was right on this. And I'm thankful that we are now, finally, beginning to open up Texas and other states because it's been long overdue.

You know, they told us Tucker to follow the science. Well, what science? I mean at the end of January, Dr. Fauci, who I have great respect for, said this wasn't a big issue. Three weeks later we're going to lose 2 million people. another few weeks later it was 100,000 to 200,000. Now it's under 60,000, and we’ve had the wrong numbers, the wrong, science, and I don't blame them. But let's face reality of where we are.

In Texas, we have 29 million people, we lost 495, and every life is valuable, but 500 people out of 29 million and we“re locked down, and we're crushing the average worker, and we’re crushing small business we're crushing the market. We're crushing this country. And what I said when I was with you that night, there are more important things than living. And that's saving this country for my children, my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us. And I don't want to die, nobody wants to die, but man we gotta take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running.

Carlson: So in the meantime, in the month or so since we've spoken, in your state, which in some ways is the most robust state in a lot of ways, out of 50, has really been hurt. Oil futures down to negative 40 bucks today which truly is shocking. Neiman Marcus, over 100-year-old company in Texas. Dallas company. Bankrupt?

Patrick: Yes bankrupt. And you know, AOC tweeted out today she was glad to see the oil industry collapsed.

This snapshot is being acknowledged as a turning point in the climate movement.



Fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline. This along w/ low interest rates means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy. A key opportunity. https://t.co/UqT8DI5u2I

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2020

You know Tucker, we cannot endure this much longer. You know every month we stay closed, it's going to take two to three months to rebuild. And the other things that the president talks about. And I think the president, on the same day that I was with you one month ago to this Monday night, we both were saying the same thing. We can do two things at once.

And so we’ve listened to the experts, and we're doing everything we can to protect life, and we have to the best of our ability,, and except for New York and a few other hotspots, it's actually the death rate has been low and again, every life is precious, I don't diminish one life, but our country should not have been locked down, and now you know I've always said if the Democrats ever had total control, they would put people like you and me in jail throw away the key.

And that's what they're doing, because they now have total control Tucker, they have total control,and everywhere you see these draconian rules of locking down people and keeping businesses shut and destroying our country, it's mostly Democrat governors, Democrat county judges, Democrat mayors, almost everywhere. And when I saw the governor of New Jersey last week, say, on your show, you know that’s above my pay grade, then you need to resign. That's what you put your hand on the Bible, when you take the oath of office. I don't care what office. It is to protect the Constitution of this United States. Don’t mock it.

So, it’s time to get back to work. Texas will lead it.

Carlson: And now he’s arresting people who criticize him.That’s handy.

Lieutenant governor. Thank you for coming on. I never defend politicians, but the abuse you took was so ridiculously disconnected from what you said that I wanted to have you back.

Patrick: Thank you, I’m blessed, God’s good, I’m fine.

On Saturday, I covered a rally on the Capitol grounds.

Chanting, “Let us work!”, “Put this on TV!” and “Fire Fauci!” about 300 protesters swarmed together, defying health experts’ warnings about social proximity, Saturday at a “You Can’t Close America Rally” on the south steps of the Capitol.

The rally against stay-at-home orders, like those imposed by Gov. Greg Abbott, was heavily promoted by InfoWars — Alex Jones’ Austin-based conspiracy website — and one of its hosts, Owen Shroyer. Attendees came from as far away as Corpus Christi and Fort Worth.

But, in five minutes on Fox yesterday, Patrick gave Gov. Abbott more to worry about than Alex Jones could.

While Patrick has been nothing but loyal to Abbott in his public pronouncements throughout this crisis, appearing by his side at critical moments, his comments last night, while never mentioning Abbott, and while suggesting that Texas is leading the way back to normalcy, were in tone and tenor much closer to those who fault Texas, under Abbott’s leadership, for being too timid in getting back to normal.

And so I’m sorry to say I was right on this. And I'm thankful that we are now, finally beginning to open up Texas and other states because it's been long overdue.

Well, if it’s overdue, why has it been overdue?

Patrick blames it on “Democrat” officials at the local level in Texas.

But here is Don Huffines, who formerly served in Patrick’s Senate, in an op-ed in Friday’s Statesman, under the headline, The governor is accountable for a Texas economy in ruins

It is time to face the facts: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has not been a leader in the coronavirus crisis. He has relinquished his responsibilities to local governments, and in his own words, “is looking to Washington for guidance.” This is a very disappointing and un-Texan response.

Texans are independent, self-motivated, individualists; yet the decisions made by the governor have led to more economic damage, a disproportionate response to the fact that as of April 15, 364 people have died from COVID-19. In a state with 29 million residents, that’s a 0.0012% total fatality rate.

Meanwhile, the governor has effectively shut down the 10th-largest economy in the world by not standing up to local leaders who are usurping his authority. Abbott has been more concerned with political correctness than confronting this power grab, plus he’s joined in lock-step with the parade of emotional decision-makers in Washington who have caused massive economic damage.

That was the same day that Abbott named a Strike Force to Open Texas chaired by Huffines’ older brother, James.

But that did nothing to mollify those on the Texas Freedom Caucus/Empower Texans’ right.

Remember when Texas had a governor who simply declared the Lone Star State was “open for business”?



Now we have a governor waiting for a “strike force” to get permission from federal bureaucrats while power-hungry mayors ban fishing. pic.twitter.com/IMtmozJ4MG

— Michael Quinn Sullivan (@MQSullivan) April 20, 2020

I wonder if @GregAbbott_TX is paying attention?



I mean, guys, @GovAbbott established a bold, new strike force! What more could anyone, anywhere possible want? #TxLege members just exist to issue statements praising their party’s governor, right? https://t.co/P14Bbyj6eE

— Michael Quinn Sullivan (@MQSullivan) April 20, 2020

Apparently Gov. Kemp has more confidence in the movie, restaurant, and gym owners, barbers, hair stylists and their customers in his state than @GregAbbott_TX does in Texans. https://t.co/jINA4Ifqky

— Michael Quinn Sullivan (@MQSullivan) April 21, 2020

Today, I sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott about the need to allow small businesses to open their doors. See the letter below. #txlege pic.twitter.com/Edk7lLmAdQ

— Kyle Biedermann (@KyleBiedermann) April 20, 2020

Open it all up. Let Texas lead the way.

We don’t need government force in order social distance or self quarantine.

— (@BriscoeCain) April 20, 2020

The Gov isn’t responsible for ensuring my family doesn’t get sick. We’ll take care of that thanks. He is responsible at a minimum for ensuring his policies don’t put over a million Texans out of work, something every TX governor in history before him has accomplished. #txlege https://t.co/gSFrJX4EJd

— Matt Rinaldi (@MattRinaldiTX) April 20, 2020

This is how you know 99% of local government politicians suck. They are either evil or stupid. Either way, they are operating without a scintilla of evidence backing their moronic orders. Pure power grabs. https://t.co/yaHvwj4qrQ

— Michael Quinn Sullivan (@MQSullivan) April 20, 2020

“People aren’t taking this seriously enough” is NOT justification for inflating estimates, modifying the rules for cause of death and overstating the risks. The truth is the truth. People are much smarter than politicians and reporters think. #txlege

— James Frank (@RepJamesFrank) April 19, 2020

And Patrick’s back of the hand to Dr. Fauci on Fox - who I have great respect for - but has been feeding the president and America, the wrong numbers, the wrong, science, is a lot more destructive of Fauci’s reputation than InfoWarriors chanting “Fire Fauci,” at a carnival-like Capitol rally.

Ultimately, I think Patrick is looking to land in for him the sweetest spot of all, which is in sync with President Trump heading into the November election.

He’s got a good political ear, and, unlike Abbott, he doesn’t have the burden of being the ultimate decider in Texas.

He’s a very limber politician.

But, well, here was Trump this morning:

96% Approval Rating in the Republican Party. Thank you! This must also mean that, most importantly, we are doing a good (great) job in the handling of the Pandemic.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

I’ve had great “ratings” my whole life, there’s nothing unusual about that for me. The White House News Conference ratings are “through the roof”(Monday Night Football, Bachelor Finale , @nytimes) but I don’t care about that. I care about going around the Fake News to the PEOPLE!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

It is amazing that I became President of the United States with such a totally corrupt and dishonest Lamestream Media going after me all day, and all night. Either I’m really good, far better than the Fake News wants to admit, or they don’t have nearly the power as once thought!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

Watched the first 5 minutes of poorly rated Morning Psycho on MSDNC just to see if he is as “nuts” as people are saying. He’s worse. Such hatred and contempt! I used to do his show all the time before the 2016 election, then cut him off. Wasn’t worth the effort, his mind is shot!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

Wait, hold on, what? President Trump just suspended all immigration into the United States!

At last!!! https://t.co/XlYDLZCm1x

— Julie McCarty (@heyjuliesue) April 21, 2020