Las Vegas Mayor Blasts CNN 'Alarmists' Over Lockdown: 'This is Vegas, Not China'
Mayor Carolyn Goodman has heated exchange with Anderson Cooper
© press
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman (I) took aim at CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a heated exchange over her pushes to reopen the city’s economy amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Cooper accused Goodman of encouraging a "virus petri dish" with reopening the city.
“You’re encouraging, I mean, hundreds of thousands of people coming there, in casinos smoking, drinking, and touching slot machines, breathing circulated air, and then returning home to states around America and countries around the world,” Cooper said.
“Doesn’t that sound like a virus petri dish? I mean, how is that safe?"
“No. What it sounds like you’re being an alarmist,” Goodman argued.
“I’m not. I’ve lived a long life. I grew up in the heart of Manhattan, and I know what it’s like to be with subways and on buses and crammed into elevators," she added.
“I’m being an alarmist?” Cooper asked.
© press
Cooper then eld up a graphic and said:
“I just want to point out to our viewers. This is a restaurant.”
“Anderson, you are tough, we’re back to China,” Goodman responded.
“This isn’t China. This is Las Vegas, Nevada.”
“Wow! Okay. That’s really ignorant,” Cooper responded.
“This is a restaurant and the yellow circles…”
“That’s ignorant to say that we’re –” Goodman said.
“That’s an ignorant, ignorant statement,” Cooper replied.
WATCH:
“Wow, that’s really ignorant.”
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) April 23, 2020
Anderson Cooper clashes with Las Vegas Mayor Goodman after she justified her wish to quickly reopen casinos, saying, “This isn’t China, this is Las Vegas,” after he showed her a graphic of how coronavirus could spread in a restaurant in China. pic.twitter.com/2iuzXJ1Mdf
© press
Last week, Goodman blasted the shutdown of "nonessential" businesses demanding that "we must reopen" now.
The Mayor called the measures "total insanity."
"This shutdown has become one of total insanity, in my opinion, for there is no backup of data as to why we are shut down from the start,” Goodman raged during a city council meeting.
But the lockdown has been described as "unconstitutional" by those being ordered to enforce the measures.
Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling of Wisconsin on Tuesday blasted Governor Tony Evers lockdown order branding it "unconstitutional."
Sheriff Schmaling in a statement:
"Wisconsin law gives the Governor and the Wisconsin DHS the authority to develop emergency measures and enforce rules and orders to protect the public during a health crisis."
Last week, a group of Michigan sheriffs rose up against their Democrat governor, declaring they will not strictly enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s draconian stay-at-home order.
Sheriffs from four different MI counties declared they would refuse to fully enforce Gov. Whitmer’s social-distancing restrictions that have been slammed by critics for going too far.
