MSNBC’s Tur Grills Las Vegas Mayor for Calling City Shutdown ‘Total Insanity’: ‘Vegas Runs On Crowds’
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman gave an interview to MSNBC on Tuesday, where she faced a tough round of questions while defending herself from a previous network guest who blasted her approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, former Diamond Resorts Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cloobeck offended the censors when he called it “utter bullsh*t” for Goodman to speak like she has the authority to reopen the Las Vegas Strip for business. Cloobeck’s profane comment came as he panned Goodman for opposing what she deemed the “total insanity” of shutting down her city’s non-essential businesses during the public health crisis.
When Goodman joined Katy Tur hours later, she conceded that Cloobeck “couldn’t be more correct” about the fact that the Clark County commissioner has the authority on when the strip reopens. She went on from there by stressing the economic impact of the pandemic and reiterating her call for people to be allowed back to work soon.
“I had never spoke about the strip being open or closed, because truly, he’s absolutely correct, I had nothing to do with that. I’m concentrating on the city of Las Vegas where we’re ready to get back in business. Assuming that everybody’s asymptomatic or is a carrier, how do we do that, do it safely and protect our people? And most importantly, take care of our elderly, who are the most susceptible to having a terrible experience or perhaps even dying. And we love our seniors. I happen to be a senior!”
Since Goodman acknowledged that asymptomatic people can carry the coronavirus, Tur asked her how can the city roll back social distancing when “Vegas runs on crowds.”
“They run on crowds in small spaces, interacting with each other, using slot machines, touching the same things, breathing the same filtered air through the casino. A lot of smokers in Vegas make people highly susceptible to this disease,” Tur continued. “How do you keep people safe? Do you think it’s possible?”
“Absolutely,” Goodman answered, but when she noted that Vegas withstood previous epidemics, Tur countered that “those were not as contagious and they did not spread as far as this disease has already done.”
“Well, we’ll find out the facts afterward,” Goodman said, to which, Tur said “Those are the facts. We have a death toll that proves it. We have cases around the country that proves it. Those are the facts.”
The conversation continued with Goodman sticking to her argument while Tur tried to press her on whether social distancing is the reason why Covid-19 hasn’t killed more people in Nevada.
“That’s a modern day survival of the fittest that you’re laying out,” Tur remarked at the interview’s conclusion.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
