In response to weekly jobless claim numbers hitting 787,000 today, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room Director Zac Petkanas released the following statement:
“It’s more than outrageous to see members of the Trump team popping champagne corks when another three quarters of a million people filed for unemployment. There’s nothing to celebrate when eight long months into this pandemic the weekly unemployment claims are still worse than the worst weeks of the Great Recession.
“The reason is clear: Donald Trump downplayed the danger instead of taking decisive action to stop the virus and the economy collapsed as a direct result.
“These horrific jobs numbers should have the Trump Administration scrambling to help the nearly 65 million Americans who’ve filed for unemployment since the beginning of this crisis and who are struggling to pay rent. Instead they’re patting themselves on the back and delaying any meaningful COVID relief effort, allowing the funding for unemployment insurance and rental assistance passed by the House last May to languish untouched for months.
“Instead of celebrating, Trump should be hanging his head in shame for creating financial ruin for millions of families by downplaying the danger of the virus, ignoring the experts urging him to ramp up testing, rushing states to reopen prematurely and mocking the need to wear face masks.”