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Scaramucci: 'Thank God' Trump made a 180-degree turn on coronavirus

Over the past few weeks, President Trump has received mixed reviews over his approach to the COVID-19 crisis. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 42% of Americans approve of how the President is handling the pandemic, down 6 percentage points from one week ago.

But one of administration’s most vocal critics says he’s pleased with the way Trump has turned things around.

“I am very happy with where we are now,” said former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. “He's made a 180 degree turn. And thank God he did that because it will save lives.”

“I don't want to be the Monday morning quarterback, but clearly, had we moved in February we would have lower death numbers,” he added. “The great irony is, he's the business president. It would have helped out the economy immeasurably if we had moved in February. But we're here now.”

[SEE ALSO: Coronavirus update: US sees deadly day as spat with WHO intensifies]

President Trump appears eager to reopen the U.S. economy, tweeting Wednesday the country will be open for business “sooner rather than later.”

However, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, it is “not the time to pull back” on social distancing measures despite encouraging signs that the virus curve may be flattening.

Scaramucci, who recently tweeted his support for Trump’s rival Joe Biden, agrees that rushing to reopen the country is unrealistic.

“The President talks about fake news all the time,” he said. “But a lot of the things coming out of his mouth are fake science. So what I'm hoping is we can get what's coming from the White House to be more congruent with the reality of the situation.”

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 21: Anthony Scaramucci, incoming White House communications director, takes questions as he speaks in the briefing room at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, July 21, 2017. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 21: Anthony Scaramucci, incoming White House communications director, takes questions as he speaks in the briefing room at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, July 21, 2017. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Despite the tragedy and hardship, Scaramucci remains optimistic about the future of the United States.

“Think of this as a national disaster. It's a 50-state hurricane, but the good news is instead of having your house demolished... you're going to be able to return to work after the work stoppage,” he said.

“Our banks are in very good shape and the government will be stimulating the economy,” he said. “If we can see through three, six, or nine months, I actually think we'll be in pretty good shape. Better than people think.”

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Nick Rose is a producer for Yahoo Finance.

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