Donald Trump orders governors to allow places of worship to reopen

Donald Trump has declared churches, mosques and
synagogues “essential services” and threatened to override governors who refuse
to reopen them this weekend – a power he does not possess.
“Some
governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have
left out churches and other houses of worship,” the president told reporters at
the White House on Friday. “It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice
and calling houses of worship essential.”
Trump added: “The governors need to do the right
thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right
now. For this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors. In
America we need more prayer, not less.”
After his two-minute statement, the president left
the briefing room podium without taking questions.
His remarks sowed confusion because the federal
government does not have the constitutional right to unilaterally order
individual states to reopen businesses, churches or schools. But they did seem
likely to play well with his support base: Trump won four in five Christian
evangelical voters in the 2016 presidential election.
Earlier this week the Centers for Disease Control
published a 60-page plan for restaurants, schools, childcare programs, mass
transport and other businesses about reopening. But it omitted details about
houses of worship and faith-based organisations.
There has been friction between Trump and state
governors during the coronavirus pandemic. Last month the president claimed he
had “total” authority over reopening plans but then appeared to backpedal from
that position.
At Friday’s briefing, the White House press
secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, deflected questions about Trump’s threat to
override governors and clashed with reporters.
“Boy, it’s interesting to be in a room that
desperately wants to see these churches and houses of worship stay closed,” she
said sardonically.
Jeff Mason of Reuters replied: “Kayleigh, I object
to that. I go to church. I’m dying to go back to church. The question that
we’re asking you, and would like to have asked the president and Dr Birx, is is
it safe?”