Dangerously low temperatures have hit the Midwest this week, with lows in Minnesota reaching 30 degrees below zero. Six deaths have been attributed to the weather so far, according to USA Today.
Juliette Kayyem, a faculty member of Harvard’s Kennedy school, a CNN analyst and CEO of ZEMCAR, stressed the importance of following the advice of local officials and minimizing time spent outdoors.
"From a homeland security perspective, you listen to the governors and mayors who are saying, 'You need to stay inside,'" she told Boston Public Radio Wednesday.
"Schools are getting canceled, you can't have kids waiting out. Telecommuting ... and other things are just going to be necessary," she continued.
Kayyem also criticized President Donald Trump's reaction on Twitter, where he seemed to make a joke about climate change: "What the hell is going on with Global Waming [sic]? Please come back fast, we need you!"
"The most amazing thing about that tweet, to me, is that the president is so passive about his leadership role," Kayyem said. "He says, 'No one should go outside.' Actually, as the president you can say things like, 'Follow your governor or mayor and go to the FEMA website.'"
"He never uses his tremendous power on Twitter to actually lead," she continued.
