In this conversational segment, Steve Cortes and Dennis Prager discuss a National Institutes of Health (NIH)‑linked study that Cortes claims demonstrates that all masks—including medical‑grade and properly worn N95 respirators—are ineffective against the SARS‑CoV‑2 virus because the virions are molecularly too small to be filtered. Cortes urges listeners to read the study, arguing that real‑world observations (e.g., high transmission in heavily masked regions like California, New York, and Chicago) corroborate the study’s findings. He recounts his recent temporary Twitter suspension for posting a brief commentary labeling masks "dehumanizing and ineffective," noting his restored access but warning of a possible permanent ban and expressing frustration over his dependence on the platform for political news and broadcasting. The dialogue then shifts to personal experience: Cortes, a father, describes how Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s pandemic policies curtailed his son’s basketball season and forced children to wear masks during high‑intensity sports, which he deems absurd and abusive. Both speakers invoke a risk‑reward calculus, arguing that the seasonal flu poses a greater danger to children than COVID‑19 and that mask mandates for children lack a sensible cost‑benefit balance. The exchange ends with a light‑hearted invitation for Cortes to launch a TV show, with Prager offering to appear as a guest.
Chapters
The layman can understand it. I'm no doctor. The layman can understand the study. And I would encourage your readers to read it. I think it's worth reading because he, number one, establishes that masks are ineffective. Um, in a medical rigorous study that they are ineffective, even medical masks, even N95s, even properly worn, that this virus is simply molecularly too small to penetrate masks. Um, and by the way, we know just intuitively that that makes sense because when we look at places in the country where masking is basically universal, places like California, like my hometown of Chicago, like New York City, we still know that the virus is spread, has spread like crazy. And in some cases actually has spread quite a bit more in the places that are the most significantly restrictive and locked compared to places where there is very little masking. So I think, you know, we just intuitively from a common sense perspective realize this, that masks have not worked. Um, but this is a scientific study again, posted on the NIH website. That is the link I provided. I quoted from the actual study about the inefficacy of masks. I added just one line to my own commentary, dehumanizing and ineffective. And for that, Twitter took it down, took my account down. Um, I'm now restored and back on, but I'll tell you what, I'm not going to stop talking about it. So I'm sure it's not long before I will be banned entirely from Twitter.
Again, the fact that it is a government published study doesn't even matter. Yeah. that, and they took you down, not just that tweet.
Correct. Correct. I could not access Twitter at all. Not only could I not post, I didn't realize how that's how that worked. I hadn't been put—
Oh, you couldn't even act. Oh my God. I couldn't access the other.
I couldn't get to Twitter. And you know what? It's, which, you know, shame on me. And I'm fixing this now in my own life is I realized how much I depend on Twitter just for my political news and my knowledge, you know, and to do broadcasting. Right. And it really hampered It really was a hamstring to not have that.
I understand.
And I've got to fix that because I don't want to be dependent on it. And because in all likelihood, I anticipate I will get banned permanently. It's sort of a system. So now I've got a big strike, um, and I'm not going to stop talking about it. I'm not going to be intimidated. To your point too about children, you know, as a father, this drove me crazy. Uh, my son, in a very abbreviated basketball season because Governor Pritzker in Illinois, one of the worst governors in America, uh, forbade sports for almost all of the school year.
Now at the very And we really haven't dropped out.
Finally, basketball. Okay, so we were able to play basketball, thank goodness. My son loves hoops and I love watching, coached him for years. But you know what? We— these poor children, they had to wear masks in basketball on the court, Dennis. I mean, you know how high-intensity cardiovascular the sport is?
We can only pray that at some point in the future this generation will be regarded as bizarre and irrational as those who believed in witches.
And I agree with you, I think it is abusive. Not only is it just— it's not a mistake. No, it's a joke.
What, 2-year-olds on airplanes? 2-year-olds? These people are sick.
It's because statistically, again, let's rely on the data, right? These people claim to be the party of science, the people who are locking us down and who are forcing children to respect science. The science tells us that for children The regular seasonal flu is far more dangerous than is.
That is right. That's why.
And we—
yes.
And we have never required that children play basketball with masks on to prevent the flu, plus, because it would be a ridiculous risk-reward count, right? It would be absurd. And all of life, to some extent, is a risk-reward calculation, right, that we all make every single day.
It's exactly what it is. What is the price? Really intelligent question. All right, listen, you let me know when you start your TV thing and I will happily promote it.
Please, and please come on as well.
I will happily come on.
You've got a face for television, Dennis Prager.
I know, wasted on radio, completely wasted. Be well, my friend. He's terrific. Do you understand, folks? He put up a study that Twitter doesn't agree with.
