Donald Trump claimed there could be mass suicides throughout America if the economy doesn’t go back to normal in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In his town hall interview with Fox News host Bill Hemmer, Trump gushed about the strength of the economy prior to the crisis and argued that people will be able to socially distance themselves well enough to slow the spread of the virus if they go back to work soon.

“We have to put the country to work. Look, you’re going to lose a number of people to the flu. But you’re going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression,” Trump said. “You’re going to lose people. You’re going to have suicides by the thousands. You’re going to have all sorts of things happen. You’re going to have instability. You can’t just come in and say, ‘Let’s close up the United States of America, the most successful country in the world by far.’”

Trump CLAIMS we are GOING to have "suicides by the THOUSANDS" if we don't go back to work next week.

DISGUSTING AND IRRESPONSIBLE. We are #NotDying4WallStreet

FOX News is tip-toeing around Trump. Giving his softball questions. THIS IS PROPAGANDA! 🤯#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/QRcApORWp4

— Peter Morley (@morethanmySLE) March 24, 2020

In recent days, Trump has called for businesses to reopen and suggested he will soon roll back restrictive policies that were put in place to halt the spread of COIVD-19. Health officials, on the other hand, warn that the situation remains dire, and that the country still needs enforcement of social distancing guidelines.

Trump says a bad economy will mean "suicides by the thousands" as he argues for reopening businesses during the coronavirus outbreak pic.twitter.com/eViToYnqv0

— Claudia Koerner (@ClaudiaKoerner) March 24, 2020