Allen West Released From Hospital After COVID-19 Treatment

Former congressman and retired Lt. Col. Allen West speaks during Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington on June 19, 2014. (Molly Riley/AP Photo)

Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West announced he was released from the hospital on Monday following a battle with pneumonia related to an infection from COVID-19.

West was admitted to Medical City Plano outside of Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. The Texas conservative reported he was not vaccinated.

In a Monday Twitter post, West shared a video announcing he had returned home.

“I want to thank you all for all of your thoughts, your prayers, your well wishes for Angela and myself. We’re doing very well,” he said in the video.

“I’m looking forward to getting back out there,” West added, referring to his campaign for governor of Texas.

His wife, Angela, was also diagnosed with COVID-19 following a shot for the flu and a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Allen West’s Twitter account.

West’s personal experience with COVID-19 did not change his views regarding vaccine mandates, a policy he has expressed he opposes.

“I can attest that, after this experience, I am even more dedicated to fighting against vaccine mandates. Instead of enriching the pockets of Big Pharma and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians, we should be advocating the monoclonal antibody infusion therapy,” he said Sunday on Twitter.

In another post on Sunday, West added, “As Governor of Texas, I will vehemently crush anyone forcing vaccine mandates in the Lone Star State. There are far better protocols that individual citizens can utilize and decide for themselves.”

West declared his run as the next governor of Texas in July. He focused his launch with an attack on Gov. Greg Abbott’s response to illegal immigration at the state’s southern border and his handling of the pandemic.

West previously served as chair of the Texas Republican Party, a role he resigned from in order to run for governor.

West’s comment on vaccine mandates appeared just one day before Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting any entity in the state from requiring a vaccine mandate.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced,” Abbott said in a press release announcing the executive order.

The order (pdf) called President Joe Biden’s recent vaccine mandates “another instance of federal overreach,” and accused the Biden administration of “bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.”

Abbott also said he plans to call a special session of state lawmakers to vote on a bill similar to his executive order and that he would rescind the order at that time.