Trump says he has ‘total’ authority over reopening economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump claimed the “total” authority to decide how and when to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus.

But governors from both parties were quick to push back, noting they have primary responsibility for ensuring public safety in their states and would decide when it’s safe to begin a return to normal operations.

Trump would not offer specifics about the source of his asserted power, which he claimed, despite constitutional limitations, was absolute.

“When somebody is president of the United States, the authority is total,” Trump said Monday at the White House.

“The governors know that.”

Governors instead made clear they wouldn’t tolerate being pressures to act.

“The president’s position is just absurd,” said New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in an appearance Tuesday on “CBS This Morning.” “It’s not the law. It’s not the Constitution. We don’t have a king. We have a president.”

New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu told CNN that, “All of these executive orders are state executive orders and so, therefore, it would be up to the state and the governor to undo a lot of that.”

Anxious to put the crisis behind him, Trump has been discussing with senior aides how to roll back federal social distancing recommendations that expire at the end of the month.

While Trump has issued national recommendations advising people stay home, it has been governors and local leaders who have instituted mandatory restrictions, including shuttering schools and closing nonessential businesses.

Some of those orders carry fines or other penalties, and in some jurisdictions they extend into the early summer.

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