Conservative political commentator Glenn Beck said he would “rather die than kill the country” while discussing social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.
Beck told his listeners during his show Tuesday that he wanted “have a frank conversation” about the country while many states are under coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
“I would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working,” Beck added. “Even if we all get sick, I would rather die than kill the country. Because it’s not the economy that’s dying, it’s the country.
“I mean, I’m in the danger zone. I’m right at the edge, I’m 56,” he continued. “In Italy, they’re saying if you’re sick and you’re 60, don’t even come in. So I’m in the danger zone.”
Beck’s comments came the same day President Trump held a town hall on Fox News to address the coronavirus and said he hopes to have the U.S. economy open up again by Easter Sunday.
“It’s such an important day for other reasons, but I will make it an important day for this, too,” Trump said in the White House Rose Garden. “I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”
He later said his administration is devising a “sophisticated” plan for “reopening” the economy and hopes it allows for a return to normalcy by Easter. He added that the nation should be “rest assured that every decision we make is grounded solely in the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens.”
There are currently more than 55,200 confirmed cases of the coronavirus across the country. Many states have implemented stay-at-home orders while others have just closed nonessential businesses to mitigate the spread of the virus, which has led to many stores closing and people out of work.
