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Conservative economists Stephen Moore and Art Laffer have been lobbying the White House for more than a week to strongly consider scaling back the recommendation that restaurants, stores and other gathering spots be closed, although exactly what that would entail remains unclear.

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Monday night that he's "not living in fear" of the novel coronavirus pandemic and is "all in" on lifting social distancing guidelines recommended by public health experts in order to help the economy.
Patrick, who said he turns 70 next week, would be among the high-risk population that is most affected by the coronavirus. But he said people like him have to weigh the hazards to their personal health that the virus poses with the challenges to health of the American economy brought on by social distancing guidelines.
"No one reached out to me and said, 'As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?' And if that is the exchange, I'm all in," Patrick told Fox News.
He added, "My messages is that let's get back to work, let's get back to living. Let's be smart about it and those of us who are 70+, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country."

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Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
He can't fire Fauci. That would leave Fauci a free agent to criticize the President's "strategy" on every talk show out there.

He'll just sideline and muzzle him.

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I think Fauci is the consummate medical professional. At this stage of his life and career, he's not in this for the money or the next job. I think he'd be the guy to tell the country the emperor has no clothes.

I hope my assessment is accurate.

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would like to ease the guidelines urging non-essential businesses to close in order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus by Easter. But some Republican allies and his former Food and Drug Administration chief are warning him against such a move.

A day earlier Trump said he fears the economic costs of the response could be more destructive than the virus itself.

"This was a medical problem, we are not going to let it turn into a long-lasting financial problem," the president said.

But former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the economy cannot succeed amid a rampant outbreak.

"There’s a strong and understandable desire to return to better times and a functioning economy. But it should not be lost on anyone that there's no such thing as a functioning economy and society so long as covid-19 continues to spread uncontrolled in our biggest cities," he tweeted.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wy., shared Gottlieb's post and echoed his concern.

"There will be no normally functioning economy if our hospitals are overwhelmed and thousands of Americans of all ages, including our doctors and nurses, lay dying because we have failed to do what’s necessary to stop the virus," she said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally to the president urged him Monday not to "back off aggressive containment policies within the United States."

Graham shared an article from The Washington Post about Trump's apparent embrace of the growing argument from conservative media personalities that the cure was becoming worse than the disease.

"When it comes to how to fight #CoronavirusPandemic, I’m making my decisions based on healthcare professionals like Dr. Fauci and others, not political punditry," Graham tweeted.

"Try running an economy with major hospitals overflowing, doctors and nurses forced to stop treating some because they can’t help all, and every moment of gut-wrenching medical chaos being played out in our living rooms, on TV, on social media, and shown all around the world," Graham said.

On Tuesday, Graham said he liked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "explanation of how to balance reopening the economy against public health concerns."