Trump falsely claimed that he has the power to end shutdowns and reopen the economy, but the power rests with governors and local officials.
Trump inaccurately tweeted:
For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
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….It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
Trump, who complained that the Constitution is too hard to read, may think that he has the power to make this decision, but he does not. Trump can’t override orders from governors. Since Trump didn’t declare a national shutdown that he would have had authority over, he has left the power to decide when the economy resumes to the state and local governments.
Donald Trump has no power to reopen the economy.
The President can’t hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside of his DC hotel, declare the economy open, and everything goes back to normal. Economists and economic experts are warning that it could take a year and half for the economy to rebound, and that is if the virus doesn’t return numerous times before there is a vaccine in place.
Trump is going to declare the economy open. Governors are going to leave it closed and Trump will be able to do nothing about it because the states have all of the power.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association