Critical thinking skills?

You do not have to be a rocket scientist, or a doctor, or an epidemiologist, or a virologist, or an economist, or a statistician ... all you have to be is a rational human being with minimal cognitive thinking skills.

Evidently, he (being the man who occupies the White House) isn't equipped with those very basic skills.

Trump is now pushing for all federal employees to return to their offices.  Most have been working from home and doing their jobs quite well.  But he needs them in their offices, working side-by-side in enclosed areas, to show that COVID-19 is on the way out and the economy is returning to normal.  

He loves public gatherings where people are crammed inside, no face coverings, and no physical distancing.  He loves those events because he needs them for validation and approval (hey, it must be nice having people chant your name while spreading the virus all over the room).  He hopes that you will believe him when he says the virus will just ... poof! ... disappear.  He hopes you will believe that the economy will be back stronger than ever - before Labor Day.

What Trump does not understand is that the current economic slump is directly linked to COVID-19.  And this is where his lack of critical thinking skills comes into play.  Let's take a look, shall we?

When all federal employees (millions of them) return to the pre-virus workplace, there will be more infections.  Employees will get sick.  Even those with mild symptoms will have to stay home.  And those absences will negatively affect  productivity.  

Let's say all bars, restaurants, theaters, shops, malls, theme parks, schools, gyms, hair salons,  and sports ramp up to the pre-virus normal.  Uh, huh.  Employees will be infected.  Here comes that absence rate again and that will affect productivity.  Customers will become infected and there goes the money they might spend.

And let's face it:  who the hell wants to go into a crowded movie theater when 1) positive cases are on the rise, 2) testing is still hard to come by, 3) theater doesn't require masks or physical distancing, and 4) hospitals in many areas are near capacity?  Yes, there are some people who will chance it, but all recent polls indicate that if customers don't feel safe, they will not take unnecessary chances by going out and participating in various activities.  

A recent poll indicates only 22% of those surveyed would feel comfortable going to a movie theater right now.  Hmmmm ... 22%.  A theater would lose money with that low number!  

Take a look at this poll to see various activities and the consumer comfort level with each.  And look at the recent dip in comfort level.  That decrease is most definitely based on the recent spike in positive cases in many areas of the country.  And in states like Florida, Texas, Arizona ... well, those spikes are a direct result of re-opening too soon.

So, Trump ... maybe you should put on your thinking cap (if one actually exists) and, first, do what needs to be done to contain/control the spread of COVID-19.  Use the presidential authority you have and do your job! Then you can work on the economy.  They are linked.  You're doing things out of order - and you're doing it that way for you, not for the American people.  

You told FOX News that the virus will "just disappear ... I hope."

There's no critical thinking involved in that strategy!  Your strategy is no big surprise, though.  You did say it wasn't your responsibility. In the meantime, people continue to die and the economy continues to stink.