MSNBC host scoffs at Trump forming economic task force: 'This isn't a snow day'

MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle suggested on Thursday that it was ridiculous for President Trump to form a second coronavirus task force dedicated to reopening the economy.

Her comments came amid news that Trump was considering a second task force focused on the economy, as the pandemic left many unemployed. According to The Washington Post, it would focus on opening as much of the country as possible by the end of April.

“Simply saying I'm going to put together a task force and we're going to be open for business — let’s make something clear: 'open for business' is a sentiment. It’s a sign, it’s not real life. This isn’t a snow day. We’re not going decide a week from now or three weeks from now, ‘Alright, everybody trot back to work.’"

"Look at Singapore. Singapore opened back up and then they saw the largest daily jump to date. And who was it? It was blue-collar workers. We’re not going to go back to work until public health experts weigh in here."

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She added that she wanted departments of health to send employees to the houses of each person who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19. They would "record their case, figure out who they spoke to, who they visited."

"That's how you address this — you have to do it in a public health policy way or we are going to be in worse shape than ever," she said.

Trump has indicated that he thought the economic costs may outweigh whatever impact the virus is having on the United States.

"We have to open our country. You know, I had an expression: ‘The cure can’t be worse than the problem itself.’ Right? I started by saying that, and I continue to say it: The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself," he said Saturday.

Trump and Congress have responded to the crisis by passing an unprecedented stimulus package to provide economic relief to American businesses. But with a startling 6.6 million people seeking unemployment benefits last week, the United States has reached a grim landmark: More than one in 10 workers have lost their jobs in just the past three weeks to the coronavirus outbreak.

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The figures collectively constitute the largest and fastest string of job losses in records dating to 1948. By contrast, during the Great Recession it took 44 weeks — roughly 10 months — for unemployment claims to go as high as they now have in less than a month.

Meanwhile, the global death toll of the pandemic has reached 100,000. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that a premature lifting of restrictions could “lead to a deadly resurgence.”

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, who's helping to lead the U.S. public health response, similarly told CNN on Friday that the virus would determine when the economy should reopen. He added, however, that he was seeing "favorable signs" that the pandemic's curve was flattening.

"I would want to see a clear indication that you are very, very clearly and strongly going in the right direction — because the one thing you don't want to do, is you don't want to get out there prematurely and then wind up you're back in the same situation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.