This week, first-time claims for unemployment hit 6.6 million, an astounding new U.S. record, surpassing last week’s unbelievable record of 3.3. million.

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CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC



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Now, nearly ten million Americans in the U.S. are all without a job, all in the span of two weeks.

God, this chart. Never seen anything like it. pic.twitter.com/TJ1yDA0GS2 — Mary Louise Kelly (@NPRKelly) April 2, 2020

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And it’s making the claims of President Donald Trump’s administration, that this might be good for jobs, look downright absurd, if not outright malevolent.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made the claim back in January during an appearance on Fox Business, saying the coronavirus outbreak in China might bring manufacturing jobs back to America.

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Has any take in world history aged worse than Wilbur Ross saying coronavirus would be good for jobs? https://t.co/EAJqCYuo3Y — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 2, 2020

Seemingly based on the idea that the virus would be largely confined to China rather than become a global pandemic, Ross took a degree of criticism at the time for his heartless “America First” approach to a tragedy.

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And now that the American workforce has been decimated, he’s being savaged for it.

Tale as old as crime https://t.co/gaP9RB3ced https://t.co/b9am8fy71K — The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) April 2, 2020

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That is one of the coldest, most malevolent things I’ve ever heard. — Nancy M (@just1again) January 31, 2020

He also took criticism for looking at things from a purely economic perspective.

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Because once millions of people die, there will be extra jobs! Jobs jobs jobs! — Queen Resistor (@Amber67157106) April 2, 2020

Is Wilbur Ross going to resign or is he going to wait until another 6.6 million people apply for unemployment?



I'm sure he's working really hard from his home in West Palm Beach during this crisis. — Patrick Cero (@Patrick_Cero) April 2, 2020

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Wilbur Ross on Jan. 30: It’s almost physically impossible for there to be a recession this year. pic.twitter.com/ZBos5sIF8n — Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) April 2, 2020

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Ross wasn’t alone in making wildly inaccurate predictions about the effect of the coronavirus on America, however. White House’s Chief Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow also stated in February that socialism was the real threat and that “the virus is not going to sink the American economy”.

I don’t want my family to contract any universal healthcare or anything. — Not The Population Of Seoul (@GigglesNschitt) February 28, 2020

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Bartender…



I'll take what he is having — Elvis Depressly (@ElvisDepresse19) April 2, 2020

Yes giving peeople free healthcare is far worst then the coronavirus. — AllHailTheNuke (@HailNuke) February 28, 2020

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The Trump administration has been accused of playing down and otherwise mishandling the coronavirus pandemic for a while, and these new unemployment figures are adding fuel to that fire.

Naw, 10 million people unemployed in the last two weeks? It should be fine. They must think we are idiots. — Thaddeus Arjuna (@ThaddeusArjuna) April 2, 2020

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This is how they "run America like a business" and – aside from the fact that it *isn't* a business – exactly why America shouldn't be run like a business. — James "Stay-at-Home" Morrison (@JamesPMorrison) April 2, 2020

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Because once millions of people die, there will be extra jobs! Jobs jobs jobs! — Queen Resistor (@Amber67157106) April 2, 2020

This whole administration is filled with incompetent yahoos. They are literally killing us with their incompetence. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan17262403) April 2, 2020

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Really?

6.6 million unemployed in the US in a week.#TrumpIsACompleteFailure — Chr Winterhalter (@ChrMail) April 2, 2020

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