Far-right radio host and anti-vaxxer dies of Covid-19

He urged his listeners not to get vaccinated against the virus.

A rightwing radio host who described Dr Anthony Fauci as a "power-tripping lying freak" and was a vocal critic of the Covid vaccine has died after contracting the virus. Dick Farrel accused Dr Fauci, who is the chief medical advisor to the president, of conspiring with "power trip libb loons" and often encouraged his listeners to not get vaccinated. But after the anti-vaxxer ended up in hospital with the virus, he apparently changed his mind on the jab, before passing away on August 4 at the age of 65. His close friend wrote on Facebook that he had told her to "get it [the jab]" and said that he had wished he got the vaccine. Amy Leigh Hair wrote in a post: "Covid Took One Of My Best Friends! RIP Dick Farrel. He is the reason I took the shot! He texted me and told me to "Get it!" He told me that this virus is no joke and he said: "I wish I had gotten it!" She told WPTV that she had also been an anti-vaxxer, saying: "I was one of one the people like him who didn't trust the vaccine. I trusted my immune system. I just became more afraid of getting Covid-19 than I was of any possible side effects of the vaccine. I'm glad I got vaccinated." https://www.facebook.com/BroadwayASL/posts/10158753531464531 The Guardian reports that Farrel anchored radio shows in Florida and sometimes would be in a stand-in anchor for rightwing news outlet NewsMax. he was described as a pioneer "shock talk" host. He had been an ardent Trump supporter and promoted unproven 2020 election fraud conspiracy theories in the aftermath of Trump's presidential election defeat to Joe Biden last year. Related links: Anti-masker detained in Singapore mental hospital after refusing to wear mask Man who was ‘too busy’ and ‘stubborn’ to get Covid vaccine now urging everyone to do so The Offspring drummer Pete Parada dropped from band after choosing not to get Covid vaccine