This morning, noted health expert (not) Bill Bennett visited Fox & Friends to suggest that he and Donald Trump know better than medical experts that we should re-open the country in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other than his allegiance to Trump, Bennett’s only qualification on the subject of anything related to the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be a column he wrote for RealClear Politics calling for the re-opening of the economy.

That was all cohost Brian Kilmeade needed. He asked Bennett, “What are we missing about this virus?” and “You took a step back and what did you find?”

Bennett read from a University of Washington model that he said is “wrong most of the time by a lot.” Bennett claimed the model showing 60,000 people will die is an overstatement.

“61,000 is what we lost to the flu in 2017 and 2018,” Bennett said dismissively. “Now, we all regret the loss of 61,000 people, if that’s what it turns out to be. I’m gonna tell you I think it’s gonna be less.”

Fake expert Bennett also declared, “We’re going to have fewer fatalities from this than from the flu. For this, we scared the hell out of the American people.”

Bennett also claimed, “You know this was not and is not a pandemic. But we do have panic and pandemonium as a result of the hype of this, and it’s really unfortunate. Look at the facts.”

Here’s a fact: Dr. Fauci says this virus is 10 times deadlier than seasonal flu.

Kilmeade sort of corrected Bennett. “Well, it is labeled a pandemic,” Kilmeade said, also leaving the door open for the possibility that the label is wrong. He quickly added, “If you get it, you have a 98% chance of survival.”

“If you’re an average American, two-tenths of a one percent chance that you’re gonna get it.” Bennett said. “And if you get it, you have a 98% chance of recovery. These things are very rarely heard.” He didn’t mention the burden on our health care system, despite the fact that he gave a verbal “salute” to the workers moments before.

What Bennett really seemed to care about was his prescription for getting “back to work.” He said, “There’s been too much ‘let’s roll up in a ball, let’s hide under the bed.’ This is not the way America works. Let’s get back to work” He claimed there has been a “300% increase in the suicide hotline, big increase in the opioid epidemic. How much domestic violence? Child protective services can’t get to people’s houses. These are real costs to panic and pandemonium.”

Kilmeade was all ears. “Right,” he said. Then he teed up an opportunity for Bennett to argue that we should all take Trump’s word over medical experts, while feigning allegiance to science. “Even if you have medical experts, it doesn’t mean the medical division decides when we open up or not or how we open up or not,” Kilmeade continued. “The economists and the medical and the scientists need a seat at the table. Do you agree?”

Predictably, Bennett did. But his real message was that we should listen to Trump and business concerns, not health experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci.

BENNETT: New York Times trying to blast the president for not acting in January and putting everybody on notice. At the end of February, Dr. Fauci who is the reigning king of scientists here, said there’s no reason for anybody to change their normal way of doing business . At the end of February! He’s the responsible party. His instincts by the way, the president’s, have been more correct than anybody else’s. The models have been disastrous, but they have frightened the children and chased the public under their beds, and this is a shame. Let’s open up the country, let’s do it smart.”

Here's another fact: Bennett's Trumpy claim that Fauci said there's no reason for anyone to change their behavior is a misleading, significant exaggeration of what Fauci said. Kilmeade did not correct it.

Trump’s own health team is flashing a yellow light, according to Politico. But Kilmeade was now all on board with fake expert Bennett. “You’re right Bill. I just don’t know if we wait much longer what is going to be left of our country,” Kilmeade said.

Kilmeade closed by endorsing Bennett’s column and, at the same time, admitting he hadn’t read it: Good column, I’ll make sure to read it,” Kilmeade said.

You can watch Bennett play a public health expert on TV below, from the April 13, 2020 Fox & Friends.