Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said the latest jobs report could make President Donald Trump’s case for reelection in November “a lot easier.”
U.S. Department of Labor data for May, released Friday, showed the economy gaining 2.5 million jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 13.3%. This was a far better mark on both counts than many expected.
The latest polling continues to show presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden leading Trump in the upcoming presidential campaign odds by a significant national margin. Additionally, betting odds have switched from Trump to Biden for the first time, with the former vice president enjoying 10/11 odds to win the presidency.
Appearing on “America’s Newsroom” to discuss the numbers, Wallace said the “optimism” Trump has displayed about a quick economic recovery, doubted by many, “looks more solid today.”
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“It really has been a great day for the country,” Wallace said. “It shows the resilience of the American economy and it shows the political resilience of Donald Trump. And, you know, the polls hadn’t been looking particularly good.”
Responding to Fox News anchor Ed Henry’s remark about the “pivot” at the White House from dealing with coronavirus to the economy, Wallace said, “No, and there was a lot of question in May when the President said ‘You know, it’s time to reopen.'”
“And he used this phrase, ‘transition to greatness,'” Wallace continued. “There were a lot of people who wondered whether he was pushing the envelope, including some of the medical people, some of his medical advisers wondering ‘is it too soon to reopen?'”
Wallace acknowledged that a virus “spike” could occur, particularly given the ongoing protests, “with tens of thousands of people without social distancing, without masks.”
“But at least the initial indications are that people have been able to go back to work, millions of people have been able to go back to work,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of bad news over the last six months, or at least the last four or five months, and we should celebrate the good news today. How long it will last? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s a very good day today and the President has every reason to celebrate.” (RELATED: ‘There’s Always An Angle’: Tucker Carlson Has A Theory About Why Some Big Corporations Are ‘Paying’ For ‘Riots’)
