Larry Kudlow, the National Economic Council director who told us in February that the coronavirus was “contained … pretty close to airtight” is now absolutely sure that there is no second spike coming.
Appearing with the three Fox & Friends lapdogs this morning, Kudlow announced he’s not a health expert but he was happy to play one on TV. Of course, the three sycophantic cohosts had no problem with that.
“I’m not the health expert, but on the so-called spike, I spoke to our health experts at some length last evening,” Kudlow told viewers. “They are saying there is no second spike. Let me repeat that, there’s no second spike.”
What he really seemed to mean is that despite an alarming increase in cases, the economy will remain open. “We are not going to shut down the economy,” he said, seconding testimony from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin the day before. “Certain spots are seeing a little bit of a jump up, some small metropolitan areas are seeing it.”
If the three lapdogs thought that maybe a real health expert should be talking to viewers about a pandemic instead of an economic guy with a faulty record on the subject, they kept it to themselves.
“CDC and the health people are all over it. They’ve sent some task forces out to deal with it,” Kudlow said vaguely. “You know nowadays we have much better equipment, much more experience, much more testing, I mean the testing itself has jumped up, so you’re going to get a little more positivity from that, but if you look nationally, important point is the rate of increase of new cases is between zero and one percent. … There is no emergency, there is no second wave. I don’t know where that got started on Wall Street.”
FACT CHECK: Hospitalizations are up since Memorial Day in 12 states that have re-opened. Several states that reopened are now reporting rising infections and hospitalizations.
Cohost Brian Kilmeade didn’t care about more Americans dying. “I love the fact that Secretary Treasury Mnuchin says not another shutdown regardless,” he said.
Kudlow celebrated last week’s jobless numbers. “We had an incredible increase of three million jobs plus a lower unemployment rate which shows that the reopening is moving into economic rebound,” he crowed.
“Not all is well yet, I get that,” Kudlow conceded. “There’s still a lot of heartbreak. You’ve still got a lot of people unemployed.” He read off many positive numbers, and predicted, “Virtually 100% or 90-something percent of small businesses will reopen in the next month. The number is 80% according to the Chamber of Commerce. … I’m looking for another decline in unemployment. We’re looking for 20% economic growth in the second half of the year.” He called “the glass” “wayyy half full.”
Kilmeade grinned and nodded in agreement.
Cohost Steve Doocy closed by saying, “With an optimistic view from the White House.”
More than 44 million Americans have filed for jobless claims since March. Not one of the cohosts mentioned that.
You can watch Fox News hosts choose Trump's economy over American lives below, from the June 12, 2020 Fox & Friends.
Tons more info for people living in the various counties and more up to date.
More cases then the FL DOH led us to believe and the Space Coast gets an F in every criteria for reopening.
Makes me wish I could of afforded to stay home longer but bills do need to be paid. But I have chronic asthma and my husband has diabetes so it makes me very nervous be be out and about.
That said, it is my firm conviction that the USA as a whole has not as yet come out of the first wave and that the country as a whole probably won’t have done so before a lot more people will have suffered and died. The Trump administration is flying on a wish and a prayer.
