Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman called for her city to reopen and suggested a CNN anchor was being an “alarmist” for asking if her idea was safe.
Goodman has repeatedly urged city officials to reopen casinos and businesses despite the state’s stay-at-home orders, arguing that the restrictions have reached the point of “total insanity.”
CNN host Anderson Cooper repeatedly questioned the logic and safety behind Goodman’s proposals during a Wednesday interview.
The two went back and forth discussing what Goodman believes should be opened, including “restaurants” and “small businesses.” After being asked repeatedly whether casinos should be opened, Goodman stated, “I’d love everything open because I think we’ve had viruses for years that have been here.”
“That is the call you said you weren’t making,” Cooper responded, noting that it was a change in her previous remarks. “That is the call. You want casinos open, you want stadiums open, you want restaurants open, you want Vegas back in business.”
“Anderson, you’re being very specific, and I appreciate it because that’s where you’re seeing it. No, the reality is I want us opening the city of Las Vegas so our people can go back to work, and that’s it because we’re putting children and families back out on the street, and very much a part of it for our convention business are our hotels and, yes, gambling, and gambling is a part of it,” the mayor answered, adding, “I want everything back. We never closed down the United States. We’ve never closed down Nevada. We’ve never closed down Las Vegas because that’s our job. Entertainment capital of the world where everything’s clean.”
Cooper then asked if it was safe for her to be encouraging people to flock to Las Vegas.
The host then asked, “You’re talking about encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to come to Las Vegas. I get the financial losses people are suffering, which is awful. But you’re encouraging, I mean, hundreds of thousands of people coming there in casinos, smoking, drinking, touching slot machines, breathing circulated air, and then returning home to states around America and countries around the world. Doesn’t that sound like a virus petri dish?”
“No, it sounds like you’re being an alarmist,” she answered. “I’m not, I’ve lived a long life. I grew up in the heart of Manhattan. I know what it’s like to be with subways and on buses and crammed into elevators. I think you are by saying what you have just said.”
