During an interview with Fox News this week, the commerce secretary claimed that the deadly outbreak could bring jobs back to the US from China.
The Chinese city of Wuhan has been the epicenter of the virus, which has already killed 200 people in China alone and infected nearly 10,000 around the globe.
On Thursday, while talking about the potential boost to the US economy on the Fox Business show "Mornings with Maria," Ross stated: “First of all, every American’s heart has to go out to the victims of the coronavirus, so I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease.” However, he then continued, “But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain.”
Secretary Wilbur Ross says coronavirus will be good for [checks notes] American jobs: "I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America." pic.twitter.com/Y4SbDIcTi4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2020
Rather than sympathizing with the victims of the disease, the administration seems to be glad that people from its primary economic competitor are suffering. Now who’s the “malign actor?”
