On Apr. 13, President Donald Trump took to his Twitter handle (@realDonaldTrump) to tweet a message that accused people in the Fake News Media of creating conflict and confusion by saying that the Governors can decide to open up the states, not the POTUS and the Federal Government.
Trump made sure that Americans fully understand that this was incorrect. Furthermore, the president added that he will continue working closely with the Administration and the Governors. He wrote that a decision by him, conjointly taken with the Governors and advice from others will be made soon.
This was surprising for people in the media, particularly because they have read the Constitution and heard things the president has said before about governors being in charge of responding to the coronavirus outbreak. Chicago Tribune's columnist Rex Huppke divulged some facts regarding Trump and the governors' role in COVID-19 related decisions.
Huppke noted that governors are fully responsible for their states, and it is their responsibility to ensure things don't go wrong concerning the virus outbreak, not the president. In short, President Trump has no authority to tell states what they need to do.
This completely contradicts Trump's latest tweet wherein he suggests that it is the president's decision when the states should open. He debunked the misconception that it is the Governors decision to open up the states. If that's anything to go by, Trump's tweet sparks questions such as why didn't he order them to shut down in a bid to restrict the spread of the virus?
Huppke noted that during the White House news briefing on Apr. 5, a reported asked Trump about the eight governors who have refused to implement these statewide stay-at-home laws when Dr. Fauci and the rest of his experts have urged people to practice social distancing to stop the spread of this virus. So why didn't he tell those governors to do that?
Responding to the reporter, Trump said he cherishes the Constitution and added that the governors are doing a great job. After noting that they have been successful in their attempts to put a lid on the virus spread, the president said he "wants the governors to be running things."
On April 2, Trump blamed governors for failing to foresee the problem of this unexpected problem by storing medical supplies. He said the complainers should have kept reserves ready even before the crisis began.
Nevertheless, it is more important what the president is saying now about being in control and states will reopen as soon as he says they will reopen.