Congressman loses tooth on camera, and Twitter snaps to attention

Dental problems are a possible side effect of COVID-19, which Rep. Gohmert tested positive for in July.
By Morgan Sung  on 

Rep. Louie Gohmert appeared to lose a tooth during the middle of a press conference on Tuesday.

The Republican representative from Texas was voicing his opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would rename several military bases and other government property named after Confederate leaders. The NDAA also includes bonuses for service members. Trump has threatened to veto the NDAA because it does not remove legal protections for social media sites like Twitter, which flagged tweets containing false or misleading information about the U.S. election.

As he spoke, he appeared to pause mid-sentence as his tooth fell out.

Here's a close up shared by political media outlet The Recount.

Gohmert publicly refused to wear a mask during this pandemic and tested positive for the coronavirus in July. According to the New York Times, people with pre-existing dental issues who had coronavirus have complained of losing their teeth, but there isn't evidence-backed research to link the two yet. Upon finding out that he had COVID-19, Gohmert began taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria treatment pushed by President Trump whose effectiveness in treating COVID-19 was debunked by the National Institutes of Health.

Gohmert was reportedly asymptomatic after his infection, and we can't say for certain that his wayward tooth was related to his coronavirus diagnosis.

Still, Twitter ran with Gohmert's loose tooth.

Gohmert also suggested, without any evidence, that he contracted COVID-19 from wearing a mask. It's very unlikely that you can contract the coronavirus from wearing a mask, even if you do happen to touch it or adjust it. Please continue wearing masks.


Recommended For You
How to watch 2024 MotoGP live streams online for free in the U.S.
Pedro Acosta of Spain leads Maverick Vinales

How to watch Game 1 of Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks online for free
Russell Westbrook of the LA Clippers shoots the ball over Luka Doncic

How to watch Manchester United vs. Coventry City online for free
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's first goal

How to watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers online for free
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the fourth quarter

The 28 best true crime documentaries on Max
Images from true crime documentaries on Max

More in Life

TikTok for Business: Everything you need to know
TikTok for Business


Get up to 25% off sitewide at Solawave
Woman using Solawave


Trending on Mashable
Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 23
a phone displaying Wordle

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 23
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

The Cybertruck's failure is now complete
Elon Musk standing in front of a Cybertruck with two bullet marks in its windows.

iPhone password reset attacks are real – how to protect yourself
iPhone 14

Who's Bluey's baby daddy? Season 3 finale episode 'Surprise' ends on a major mystery
Bandit plays with Bingo and Bluey in "Surprise!"
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!