Pelosi Says Trump’s Support Of Stay-At-Home Order Protesters Is A ‘Distraction’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) argued that President Trump’s defense of protesters defying stay-at-home orders is a “distraction” from his response to the COVID-19 outbreak, during Sunday morning interviews.

Asked by ABC News’ George Stephanopolous about whether she thinks that the President’s guidelines to the governors are appropriate and if states are ready to begin the process of opening up, Pelosi responded that she “wouldn’t exaggerate the protests across the country” before adding that Trump’s support of the protests is “a distraction.”

“There are some in some places, largely where there’s a Democratic governor,” Pelosi said. “But I think of it largely as a distraction and the President’s embrace of it as a distraction from the fact that he has not appropriately done testing, treatment, contact tracing and quarantine.”

Pelosi went on to add that “the key that opens the door to the economy is testing,” which she said  “we haven’t done it right.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Trump’s support for stay-at-home order protests is a “distraction from the fact that he has not appropriately done testing …”

“The key that opens the door to the economy is testing, testing testing. We haven’t done it right.” https://t.co/PYRdRpKqJS pic.twitter.com/U8UHEsJxpd

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 19, 2020

Pelosi echoed similar sentiments during an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” saying that she can’t understand why there are protesters defying social distancing measures when the “answer” to the pandemic is to “shelter in place.”

“People will do what they do. But the fact is, we’re all impatient. We all want out. But what they’re doing is really unfortunate,” Pelosi said, referring to the protesters.

Pelosi on protesters defying stay-at-home orders: "The fact is we're all impatient. We all want out. But what they're doing is really unfortunate." pic.twitter.com/wuUvgmE3C8

— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) April 19, 2020