GOP senator says unvaccinated Americans -- not undocumented immigrants -- are to blame for COVID-19 surge

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) broke ranks with many Trump-loving governors on Friday when he said that unvaccinated Americans are to blame for the surge in COVID-19 cases, not undocumented immigrants.

The Citizen-Times reports that Tillis told the Council of Independent Business Owners on Thursday that it isn't fair to blame immigrants for the spread of the novel coronavirus when so many Americans are refusing a free vaccine.

"If you look at a state like North Carolina, even absent the possible threat of spreading through illegal crossings, we've got a real problem here with people not getting the vaccine," he said. "I think the biggest factor right now is we have far too many people who are refusing to get the vaccine."

Tillis said that the situation in North Carolina could grow so severe in the coming weeks that an economic shutdown could be possible.

"It may very well be that they have to do a shutdown to get control over it, because our population is not helping get control over it by having more people vaccinated," he said.