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Trump Predicts ‘Suicides By The Thousands’ If Americans Can’t Get Back To Work

This article is more than 4 years old.

Topline: President Trump said Tuesday during a Fox News Town Hall that he believes shutting down the economy would kill more people than the coronavirus—saying, “This cure is worse than the problem" — contradicting multiple top health officials, such as infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who have repeatedly said it would take several more weeks for people to start going about their lives in a normal fashion. 

  • “Many people — in my opinion, more people — are going to die if we allow this to continue. We have to go back to work,” Trump said. Our people want to go back to work.”
  • Trump also predicted “suicides by the thousands” if we continue social distancing. “We can social distance ourselves and go to work.”
  • Experts at the Center for Disease Control estimate that anywhere between 200,000 to 1.7 million Americans will die from the coronavirus without serious social distancing.
  • Trump’s Tuesday comments echoed statements made on Sunday when he tweeted in all caps: “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”


Crucial quote: Trump also added that he wants the economy opened up and “raring to go by Easter.”

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