Trump Declares He Has ‘Total’ Authority to Reopen After Virus

President Donald Trump declared he has “total” authority to order states to relax social distancing to combat the coronavirus outbreak and reopen their economies, and warned that governors who refuse would face political consequences.

Asked what provision gives the president the power to open or close state economies, Trump said: “Numerous provisions. We’ll give you a legal brief if you want.”

“The authority of the president of the United States having to do with the subject we’re talking about is total,” Trump said at a White House news conference on Monday. “I have the ultimate authority”

WATCH: Trump says he alone has the authority to reopen the economy, and that he hopes to do so “ahead of schedule.”

(Source: APTN/Bloomberg)

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