'You go first': Conservative challenges Trump's rich pals whining about workers not returning to work over virus fears

Conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin issued a challenge to wealthy business owners and friends of President Donald Trump demanding that people get back to work: You first.

In her Sunday column, Rubin cited Ryan Williams, "the head of the previously well-respected and now crackpotish Claremont Institute," calling on people to join the "resistance" against coronavirus and go back to life as usual.

"President Trump imagines he alone will decide when to reopen the country for business, although he has no constitutional, statutory or practical ability to do so," Rubin explained. "He insists, contrary to the advice of public health officials, that we can get back to work regardless of whether we have the capacity to test millions of Americans."

Friday, Vice President Mike Pence said that there should be "widespread testing" and "therapeutics" for most people who have the disease, the problem is that now free testing is no longer available and most people driving hours to testing sites are being informed they either can't have the test because they don't have symptoms or the test will cost $300 or more.

During an interview with CNN, CDC director Robert Redfield said that they need to understand the spread of the virus better, "strengthen public health infrastructure, prepare hospitals and other medical facilities, and foster a belief among Americans that it’s the right time to do this," Bloomberg News cited.

Meanwhile, "Fox & Friends" weekend host Jedediah Bila revealed that she was diagnosed with COVID-19. It's unclear if she was given hydroxychloroquine, given her network is continuing to hawk it as a miracle drug.

"They do this despite warnings from Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that 'there are other studies that show that doesn’t work at all,'" cited Rubin. "If you do want to use it, he cautioned, 'I would want to do it under the auspices of a clinical trial, a well-controlled clinical trial. I have to say there is not definitive evidence that it works. And we are not quite sure yet of the toxicities because you’re using it in a different disease and you’re using it at a much higher dose.'"

Rubin explained that for every one of Trump's "sycophantic rich friends," and "irresponsible and uninformed voice" demanding everything reopen, there are just as many, if not more, respected, rational, experts who are warning against it.

"Let me suggest a simple test for those arguing for a quick return to business as normal absent a robust testing, contact tracing and quarantine program: You go first," Rubin suggested. "Trump should cease requiring everyone who comes into his orbit to submit to a covid-19 test. After all, if it’s not important enough for all of us to have the same protection, he should feel perfectly comfortable re-engaging with those of unknown health status."

As for hydroxychloroquine, if Fox News thinks that it's a miracle drug, they should start clinical trials.

Corporate overlords and people like "Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who push for a May reopening of the economy should be the first on the factory floors (shake every returning worker’s hand), the first to ride public transportation to and from work, and the first to pay social calls at nursing homes," Rubin said.

"Among the COVID-19 deniers, the maniacal capitalists and the Trump campaign cheerleaders, there is far too much eagerness to expose others to dangers that I suspect they would be entirely unwilling to undertake themselves," Rubin closed. "They should abide by a single Golden Rule of public health: Do not advocate for others what you are unwilling to do yourself. Maybe if forced to consider the risk to their own health and lives, they will act with greater care."

Read the full column.