Indiana Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R) joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Friday to clarify a controversial statement he made concerning the coronavirus crisis and the devastating effects it's having on the U.S. economy.

On Tuesday, Rep. Hollingsworth told WIBC in Indianapolis that getting Americans back to work and American businesses reopened would be the best decision for the most Americans.

"There is no zero harm choice here. We are going to have look Americans in the eye and say 'we are making the best decisions for the most Americans possible' and the answer to that to get Americans back to work, to get Americans back to their businesses," he said.

Asked if he "understands and appreciates what scientists are saying about the impact of the coronavirus," Hollingsworth replied, "But certainly the social scientists are telling us about the economic disaster that is going on. Our GDP is supposed to be down 20% alone this quarter. It is policymakers' decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these two evils. It is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these two evils and we intend to move forward that direction. That is our responsibility and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office."

Predictably, the "liberal elites" in Washington, D.C., and the media were quick to pounce, taking the Republican lawmaker's words out of context to accuse him of saying American lives are less important than the all-mighty dollar.

"There's a real cost to this economic shutdown. Twenty-two million Americans out of work. Small businesses shutdown. Religious freedom all but ended," explained Hollingsworth on Friday's show. "And we need to start counting those costs alongside the biological costs of the coronavirus, and weigh those two judiciously, not just think about the coronavirus losses."



Glenn responded, "There is a real cost to the coronavirus, and we want to make sure that we help as many people as we can. But in the process, we don't want to hurt more people. You have to balance the head and the heart, and it doesn't seem like anyone is willing to do that right now."



"You're exactly right," Hollingsworth continued. "That's why it's so important that we the people stand up and start demanding that of our elected officials. This is what I said, and I stand behind what I said. This is our way of life that is at stake. Our religious freedoms. Our ability to create opportunities for our families. Our ability to put food on the table for our families. Our ability to go out and travel freely. We have to weigh the loss of our way of life, against the loss of American lives. That is not the easy thing to do. It should not be taken lightly. This is what we elect officials to do, and by gosh, I hope we start doing it!"

Watch the full interview now on BlazeTV.









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