Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla, is joining other Americans in calling on the U.S. government to reopen the economy.
Musk issued a series of tweets revealing his support for states reopening businesses and pointed to an op-ed which suggested lockdowns may not save as many lives as officials thought they would.
“FREE AMERICA NOW,” Musk wrote.
FREE AMERICA NOW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
Musk expressed his support of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) plan to allow some businesses across the state to reopen as soon as Friday.
“Bravo Texas!” Musk wrote.
Bravo Texas! https://t.co/cVkDewRqGv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
He linked to a story in the Texas Tribune outlining the rules and regulations the businesses will have to follow upon reopening.
Musk called for the liberation of Americans from lockdowns.
“Give people their freedom back!” he wrote.
Give people their freedom back! https://t.co/iG8OYGaVZ0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
Musk included a link to an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal titled, “Do Lockdowns Save Many Lives? In Most Places, the Data Say No.”
President Donald Trump has voiced his frustration with states amid stay-at-home orders.
He previously called on Americans to “liberate” states with Democratic governors, as IJR reported.
Massive protests have broken out across the country as Americans continue to grow restless with the economic downturn.
A massive number of people flocked to the Wisconsin State Capitol on April 24 to demand Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) lift Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order so they could go back to work, as IJR previously reported.
Other governors have moved to partially reopen their states including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).
DeSantis gave Florida the go-ahead to reopen some of its beaches for “essential activities,” as IJR reported.
After receiving criticism, Kemp stood by his decision to become the first state to partially reopen.
Some are suggesting the United States cannot wait too long to reopen.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) believes “we won’t have an economy left” if the nation waits to test every American before reopening.
As of Wednesday morning, the United States is reporting more than 1,015,000 positive coronavirus cases.
