Larry Kudlow’s Untruthful Statement About the Rapidly Expanding Coronavirus Epidemic Endangers Public Health
Statement of Dr. Michael Carome, Director, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group
Note: In an interview on CNBC regarding the widening coronavirus epidemic, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow advised that “for most people, if you’re healthy, you should go to work, go back to business” and asserted that “frankly so far [the spread of the virus] looks relatively contained.”
The last person who should be giving assessments and advice regarding the rapidly expanding novel coronavirus epidemic in the U.S. is ill-informed economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who is more interested in protecting President Donald Trump politically than protecting public health.
Kudlow’s untruthful assertions that the epidemic is “contained” in the U.S. are belied by the surging number of diagnosed cases of coronavirus throughout the country. Spreading untruthful information about the coronavirus epidemic is the best way to undermine public trust in the government’s response to the epidemic and is likely to speed – not stop – its spread.