Following his sudden and unexpected Twitter outburst this morning, urging President Trump to “Close the borders… shut down the country,” investor Bill Ackman called in to CNBC to further explain his grave concerns.
Mr. President, the only answer is to shut down the country for the next 30 days and close the borders. Tell all Americans that you are putting us on an extended Spring Break at home with family. Keep only essential services open. The government pays wages until we reopen.
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) March 18, 2020
As the virus spreads across America, Ackman sees only one way out…
“You cant borrow your way out of the problem, you can’t lend your way out of the crisis.. you have to kill the virus.”
“America will end as we know it,” warned the infamous hedge fund manager, unless President Trump shuts down the country for 30 days to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus, calling it the only option to rescue the economy.
“What’s scaring the American people and corporate America now is the gradual rollout,” Ackman told CNBC’s Scott Wapner on ‘Halftime Report’ on Wednesday.
“We need to shut it down now… This is the only answer.”
Ackman added if Trump saves the country from the coronavirus, he will get reelected in November, with the billionaire urging US companies to stop their buyback programs because “hell is coming.”
“The hotel industry and the restaurant industry will go bankrupt first, Boeing is on the brink, Boeing will not survive without a government bailout,” Ackman said.
“Capitalism does not work in an 18-month shutdown, capitalism can work in a 30-day shutdown.”
A prepper?
“Beginning in late January I was getting increasingly bearish and I woke up with a nightmare,” Ackman said.
“And my nightmare was you have this virus that replicates and infects incredibly rapidly.”
He added that his colleagues thought he was a “lunatic” when he took cash from an ATM.
Finally, a clearly emotional Ackman exclaimed”
“I’m not going to kill my father [who is immunocompromised], I went into lockdown almost a month ago to save my father’s life.”
Every American should listen:
“The only shared sacrifice that is going on right now is the health-care community, the nurses, the doctors, the people taking care of patients. Those people are making enormous sacrifices,” said Ackman.
[The president] is not saying storm the beaches of Normandy right, he’s saying go home, go home, spend a month with your family. ”
If you weren’t concerned before – you should be now – Watch the full interview below…