Rand Paul: If feds want more folks vaccinated, Biden should take his mask off and burn it on TV

GOP Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) said Wednesday that the federal government's messaging on vaccines has been full of "fearmongering" and suggested the best way to get more people on board with taking COVID-19 shots is for President Joe Biden to take off his mask and burn it on national television.

What are the details?

During an interview with Fox News, the Kentucky Republican and ophthalmologist continued his criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom he has sparred with several times over the course of the pandemic.

"Science is about proving things are happening," Paul told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. "If Dr. Fauci can prove that people who are vaccinated are spreading the disease, I will listen to him. If he can prove that people like me who have already had it are spreading the disease, I'll listen to him. But there is no evidence of that."

Then, the senator offered some advice, saying, "If you want more people to get vaccinated, Joe Biden should go on national TV, take his mask off, and burn it. Light a torch to it, and burn his mask and say, 'I've had the vaccine, I am now safe from this plague. If you get the vaccine, you can be safe too.'"

He argued, "The burden of proof should be on the government to prove that we're spreading it and we will listen to them, but instead it sounds sort of like fearmongering."

Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues to urge states and localities to re-implement mask mandates across the nation.

The Washington Examiner noted that earlier that day, Biden told the American people they must continue "to mask up until the number of cases goes down, until everyone has a chance to get their shot."

Anything else?

This is not the first time Paul has accused federal officials of ignoring evidence while issuing their guidance.

Last week, he blasted Biden administration officials for advising states like Michigan to re-impose lockdowns, saying:

It doesn't obey the science. There is no scientific evidence that the lockdowns in Michigan have done anything, or in California. In fact, the daily incidents of the disease in the last two months has been about almost one and a half times greater in California than it has been in Florida. The death rate is lower in Florida. So there is no real correlation between economic lockdowns, mask mandates, or any of this.