Scott Walker says overreaching coronavirus restrictions are 'what happens when people get power-hungry'
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Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker joined "Your World with Neil Cavuto" Thursday to react to growing protests against strict restrictions imposed by some states during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Well, for all the people talking about, 'You need to look at the data and the facts,' They're just ignoring that in a big power grab," Walker said. "And I think this is what has made people increasingly frustrated with what's going on all across the country, Michigan probably being the tip of the spear."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PROTESTERS SURROUND MICHIGAN CAPITOL AGAINST GOVERNOR WHITMER'S LOCKDOWN ORDER
Hundreds of cars, trucks and SUVs descended on Michigan’s state capital Wednesday afternoon as part of a noisy protest against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s social-distancing restrictions that critics say have gone too far.
Whitmer announced over the weekend an expansion to her state’s stay-at-home orders, prohibiting residents from visiting family or friends with exceptions for providing care, banning public and private gatherings regardless of size or family ties, and placing restrictions on what types of businesses may operate and in what capacity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, STATE-BY-STATE
"Why would you take away these opportunities that don't put anyone at risk?" Walker said. "But this is what happens when people get power-hungry and they're taking actions that far exceed their constitutional rights."
Walker called on states to begin coming up with a reasonable and safe game plan for reopening their economies, adding that Congress also needs to fix unemployment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We've got to fight the war against the coronavirus, and when we we engage too quickly, we're only going to hurt ourselves later with the economy if we've got to go back and repeat some of these measures over and over again," Walker said. "That would be an absolute catastrophe, both for the health of our fellow citizens and the health of the American economy. But we've got to have a plan to do both."
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"We can be first and foremost looking out for fighting the coronavirus, providing all the assets we need to deal with this health and medical issue," he added. "At the same time, we've got to be able to walk and chew gum and start planning for how we restore the health of the American economy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Andrew O'Reilly contributed to this report.