Podcast co-hosts Buck Sexton and Clay Travis blast de Blasio's NYC vaccine passport mandate, saying it disproportionately affects New Yorkers of color

Podcast co-hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton blasted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's vaccine passport policy Tuesday saying it would disproportionately affect black and Hispanic New Yorkers.

Additionally they argued the policy runs counter to Democrats' traditional opposition to voter identification laws, which require people to show up to the polls with identification to vote. 

Earlier de Blasio announced that starting August 16, indoor businesses will require customers to show proof of vaccination or otherwise turn them away. 

Speaking on their podcast The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show they said that with low vaccination rates among black and Latinos in the city, 69% of African Americans and 58% of Latinos would be ineligible to eat in a restaurant, go to a gym or perhaps even go to their jobs 

Podcast co-hosts Buck Sexton and Clay Travis blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio's vaccine passport policy Tuesday, saying it would disproportionately affect black and Hispanic New Yorkers and ran counter to Democrats' opposition to voter ID laws 

'These are mandates the city's now pushing on them,' Sexton said. 'Now that's going to be interesting optics.'

'Well no doubt, because It's racist according to every Democratic argument if you apply the logic,' Travis replied. 'If it's racist to require an id to vote, imagine the logical pretzels that people are going to have to twist themselves into to justify a vaccine in order to even go about day-to-day life'

He noted to Sexton's point of low vaccination rates among the population, 'That's particularly the case when the application of this rule would have a fairly substantial impact based on race,' Travis said. 

'Now you could argue that it's not race based, but to your point the percentages  overwhelmingly of people that are not vaccinated in New York, and in the country are black and Latinos,' he said. 

He noted that in countries in Europe such as Italy and France where similar policies have been implemented protests have erupted.   

In France, a similar mandate requiring a health pass for access to cafés, restaurants and shopping centers sparked huge protests. 

Sexton and Travis worried that the mandate could lead to protests similar to those seen in France after vaccine passport policies were put in place. Anti-vaxxers are seen protest in France on July 31

President Emmanuel Macron announced the plans on July 12, along with a requirement that all health care workers be vaccinated by September 15 or they 'won’t be able to work and won’t be paid.'

Over the July 23 weekend, more than 160,000 people marched in Paris and other major cities against the orders. 

Sexton also wondered what it could mean for New York City as a transit hub and if travelers arrive that are either unvaccinated or don't have proof of vaccination, and noted that this may have been the inevitable trajectory of Covid-19 mandates all along. 

'This is the continuation of what we've said all along which is that the framework, the mindset of the lockdowners at the beginning was going to take us to this inevitable place,' he said. 

'And at every phase it was clear that they had to push alittle further, a little more they pretended that it was just this one last time. and this is pretty much now, we're at the end stage of Fauciite madness.' 

The co-hosts' sentiments were echoed that same evening by  Fox News Host Sean Hannity who also hit back at the city's passport mandate, saying it will disproportionately affect black New Yorkers.. 

Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested Tuesday that New York City's vaccine passport mandate announced earlier that day might disproportionately affect black New Yorkers as well as other groups of people

Hannity said it was hypocritical for de Blasio, a Democrat, to require documentation for customers to enter places of business after Democrats have strongly criticized voter ID laws as discriminatory.    

'Anyone that wants to dine indoors, or go to the gym or do pretty much anything inside, you will need to present documents proving that you have been vaccinated. 

'Remember for months now Democrats insisted that all forms of voter ID, yeah they're racist. They called voter verification voter ID laws 'Jim Crow of the 21st century' and 'Jim Crow 2.0''

'But apparently identification for daily activities is Democratic approved,' he said. 

Hannity went on: 'Just like attending the DNC, want to see your congressman or women or senator from your state, or getting a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer, 'yeah you need photo ID,' and now they want you to have identification to prove you've been vaccinated just to enter a restaurant, but not to vote.'

It comes as Fox News host Laura Ingraham slammed Democrat leaders for 'cratering' the 'once great' New York City in a blistering attack on Tuesday. 

Fox News host Laura Ingraham slammed Democrat leaders for 'cratering' the 'once great' New York City and said the city faced a 'leadership crisis', not a 'covid crisis', in a blistering attack on Tuesday

de Blasio seen at a restaurant on July 30. Hannity said the mayor's, policy was hypocritical as it requires identification for entrance to most places of business, while voter identification laws have been strongly criticized by members of his party

Ingraham claimed only 'looters, the thugs, and the gang bangers' have not had their freedom restricted in the last 18 months and accused Democrats of pushing the city to 'its breaking point'. 

She went to claim 'dimwit' de Blasio 'doesn't care' and isn't 'proud' of the city or the hard-working citizens who live there. 

'Mayor de Blasio wants to take the city backward like it's still May of 2020, all because of the Delta variant... We don't have a Covid crisis in New York, we have a leadership crisis in New York', she said. 

Ingraham urged New Yorkers to 'deliver a resounding rebuke' to de Blasio and Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo or risk remaining in a 'constant state of misery'.   

Hannity noted that statistics show that only 33 percent of black people in the city are vaccinated, meaning very few would be allowed to enter most places of business.    

'That would mean 66 percent, fully two thirds of African Americans will be barred from restaurants, from concerts, from venues where you have ballgames, movie theaters all in New York City,' he said.

'This will now negatively and quite disproportionately impact minorities in New York City.'  

Another group who may be negatively impacted by the vaccine passport mandate, Hannity said, were those with medical conditions who could not get vaccinated. 

Customers and workers will have to show proof that they've had at least one dose of a vaccine under plans to pressure New Yorkers to get a shot.

Official data shows that 66 percent of adults in NYC are fully vaccinated

'Maybe your doctor says you shouldn't get the shot, shouldn't get the shot because of this rare condition or that rare condition,' he said. 

Additionally, citing a recent study by the Cleveland Clinic that indicated antibodies generated from being infected by the coronavirus might be as effective as the vaccination, he said those who have had Covid-19 might not need to get vaccinated. 

'Nevermind medical privacy, your medical privacy, nevermind your doctor-patient confidentiality,' he said. 

'Anyone who's vaccinated and is allowed to attend indoor activities will soon have to share their personal, medical documents with employees at every restaurant, every bar, every sporting event, every concert and other random strangers all across New York City.'

de Blasio's announcement earlier in the day caused a stir among business owners confused at how the policy would be implemented.    

While it will go into effect on August 16, inspections and enforcement won't begin until September 13, the week that the city's public schools reopen for the fall.  

It'll fall largely on businesses to enforce the policy, and de Blasio claims it won't be too different from a host guiding someone to a table or a box office clerk selling a ticket. 

The vaccine mandate comes after the aggressive Delta variant swept through New York

De Blasio said Tuesday: 'If you want to participate in our society fully, you've got to get vaccinated. It's time.'

He added: 'This is a miraculous place full of wonders, and if you're vaccinated, all of that is gonna open up to you.'

About 66 percent of adults in New York City are fully vaccinated, with another 5.6 percent partially vaccinated, according to official data.  

The vaccine mandate is the most aggressive step the city has taken yet to curb a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant. 

The mayor touted the 'Key to NYC Pass' as a 'first-in-the-nation' approach.

'The only way to patronize these establishments is if you are vaccinated, at least one dose. The same for folks in terms of work, they will need at least one dose,' de Blasio said. 

'The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time. If we're going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now. And that means getting vaccinated right now.'

But restaurant owners and advocates have hit back, saying the industry faces collapse if restrictions continue to burden a sector of the economy that has faced lost revenues and a staffing crisis over the past year and a half.

Residents can show their CDC vaccination cards along with state and city apps like Excelsior

'Government is still making things harder on our industry. We can't take it much longer,' said New York State Restaurant Association President and CEO Melissa Fleischut, who says restaurants have suffered enough losses and restrictions during the pandemic.

Sean Ogs, manager of the Woodside Cafe in Queens, said he was 'floored' when he heard the news.

'We've already been in a struggle. I don't know how I'm going to deal with it,' Ogs said.

'It's going to be extra work. It'll make things impossible.'

De Blasio said Tuesday that some details of how the program will work still need to be worked out, but he did not think checking vaccination status should be too difficult for businesses, which already have to take tickets or show diners to a table.

Those looking to catch a Broadway show or get in a morning workout will need to pull out a CDC vaccination card or an app like the Excelsior Pass proving that they've had at least one jab of a Covid vaccine. Vaccination cards will be accepted as proof of inoculation, along with state and city apps.