What Chuck Woolery said about Donald Trump, COVID

Chuck Woolery, the host of iconic game shows such as Love connection and Wheel of Fortuneand later a conservative podcast host who endorsed Donald Trump has died at age 83.

His podcast co-host Mark Young confirmed Sunday that Woolery had passed away at his Texas home with his wife, Kristen, by his side.

Known for his quick wit and signature “two and two” sign-off, Woolery hosted several television specials, earning a 1978 Daytime Emmy nomination and a spot in the U.S. TV Game Show Hall of Fame of Fame in 2007. He began his career as the first host of Wheel of Fortune in 1975, later to make Love connection a pop culture phenomenon during its 11-season run.

Woolery also dabbled in music, scoring a Top 40 hit with his band The Avant-Garde before transitioning to television. He is survived by his wife and three children. Young described him as a “dear friend and brother” who lived life with faith and passion.

What Chuck Woolery said about Donald Trump

Woolery was an outspoken supporter of Trump on his podcast Blunt Force Truthwhich he had co-hosted with Young since 2014.

In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he described himself as a “conservative libertarian and constitutionalist.”

“I wasn’t a Trump supporter in the beginning,” he shared Times. “But I eventually got on board for fear of losing the Constitution altogether, for fear of going down this hyper-socialist path. I thought, ‘How bad can Trump possibly be?’ Sure, it was a big bet on the unknown, but no one can change Washington from the inside.

In a 2019 tweet, Woolery, now called X, wrote on Twitter that supporting Trump ruined his career.

“Yes, I pretty much ruined my career by openly supporting Trump and letting everyone know I’m a conservative. Painful at times, but true. When all is said and done. It was my choice and I can live with it . I would do it all over again.”

What Chuck Woolery said about COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Woolery sparked controversy by accusing institutions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and doctors of lying about the virus for political gain.

In a July 2020 tweet retweeted by Trump, Woolery wrote: “The most outrageous lies are the ones about COVID-19.”

“Everybody’s lying. CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all, but most that we’re asked to trust. I think it’s about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m tired of it.”

Days later, Woolery announced that his son had contracted COVID, softening his tone to acknowledge the reality of the virus. “Covid-19 is real and it’s here,” he tweeted before deleting his account. His account was later restored.

Woolery later clarified that he had never called the virus itself a hoax, but maintained that the public had been misled about the answer.

In a July 2020 episode of his podcast, he suggested the pandemic was being “weaponized” politically, citing as evidence in an appearance on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show “two (unnamed) doctors” who said masks were ineffective to prevent the spread of viruses.