Pat Sajak Criticizes 'Stay-at-Home' Messages

It's OK for out-of-work Americans to 'question the premise,' game show host says
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 18, 2020 12:50 PM CDT
Pat Sajak: It's OK to Question 'Stay Home' Orders
Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is seen during batting practice before a spring exhibition baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sarasota, Fla., Sunday, March 23, 2014.   (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

After decades hosting Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak can probably afford to take a few months off—but he hasn't forgotten about those who can't. Health experts and some media personalities have called for reopening America slowly and cautiously, but in a tweet over the weekend, Sajak suggested that the calculus might be different for other workers, TMZ reports. "When a disc jockey or a talk show host or a journalist who is being paid to work from his or her home tells people who can’t work, pay bills or pay their rent or mortgage to 'Stay home and be careful because we’re all in this together,' it’s okay to question the premise," the 73-year-old said.

Earlier this month, Sajak expressed frustration with constantly being told that "we'll know more in two weeks," though most of his previous remarks on stay-at-home orders were more lighthearted. "Surprised to learn that selling vowels is not an essential job," he tweeted on April 23. In a tweet four days later, he joked: "I hope you understand how difficult this situation is for celebrities. Instead of being pampered and flattered by everyone, we are forced to sit in our homes just like regular people." On Sunday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that the unemployment rate could hit 25%, Fox reports. He said government figures show that a shocking 40% of those earning under $40,000 a year have already lost their jobs. (More coronavirus stories.)

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