Economist Stephen Moore said during an interview on Sunday that though the fate of the economy is showing positive signs of recovery, it will be a while until it’s back to previous levels.
“It’s going to take a while for this economy to get back on its feet,” Moore said on John Catsimatidis’s Sunday radio show. “We did a lot of damage in March and April and May. But the good news is the recession phase is over and the recovery phase is here.
“Things will get better, but at a slow pace,” he added.
Moore, who is an ally of President Trump, said that the lifting of stay-at-home orders in some states has spurred economic activity.
“People are starting to put their toe back in the water and going out,” he said. “It’s time to get back to normal. We cannot live in fear.”
Public health officials continue to advise Americans to avoid nonessential activities in public spaces and to wear masks when social distancing isn’t possible due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Their messages have at times been at odds with the president, who is hosting an indoor campaign rally in Oklahoma next week, which goes against several major guidelines the public health experts on the White House coronavirus task force have issued.
Moore echoed sentiments made by White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett on Friday, pointing disparate economic tolls in Republican and Democratic-led states and touting the president’s experience as a business leader.
“Thank goodness we have a businessman who’s been successful who’s guiding us through this,” Moore said, referring to President Trump.
“I love his line: ‘I built the economy once, I’m going to rebuild it again,’” Moore added. “But he’s not getting a lot of cooperation from these Democratic mayors and Democratic governors. They got to get with the program.”
John Catsimatidis is an investor in The Hill