Ivanka Trump is urging protesters of stay-at-home orders to practice social distancing and adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines during demonstrations.
The president’s oldest daughter and White House Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday with a reminder for protesters. She is stressing the importance of safety while protesters are exercising their First Amendment rights.
“Peaceful protest [and] freedom of assembly are beautiful American traditions that should always be protected,” Ivanka Trump tweeted.
“If you choose to exercise your 1st Amendment rights, please practice social distancing [and] wear a face covering,” she added. “We can protect our rights [and] our health at the same time.”
Peaceful protest & freedom of assembly are beautiful American traditions that should always be protected.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) April 22, 2020
If you choose to exercise your 1st Amendment rights, please practice social distancing & wear a face covering.
We can protect our rights & our health at the same time. 🇺🇸
Ivanka Trump’s tweeted warning comes just days after reports began circulating about protests in several states.
Initially, demonstrations were only being held in Michigan, but after President Donald Trump’s “liberate” tweets on Friday, protests erupted in several states over the weekend.
Most gatherings have varied in size ranging from hundreds to thousands of protesters.
Reports have highlighted protesters’ failure to adhere to CDC guidelines — protesting in close proximity to each other without wearing masks and gloves.
.#Trump: "I watched the protest, and they were all 6 feet apart"… pic.twitter.com/AH5RTvUEEF
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) April 20, 2020
Thousands of people from all over Michigan are coming together at the State’s Capital to protest against the “Stay Home” order. pic.twitter.com/c8XTk29ASh
— Joey Salads (@JoeySalads) April 15, 2020
HAPPENING NOW: About 200-300 people have gathered at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas to protest Gov. Sisolak and the stay-at-home order. This follows an earlier “Operation Nevada” protest in Carson City. (📷: FOX5) pic.twitter.com/fyxIlaXOKa
— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) April 18, 2020
When asked about his stance on the stay-at-home protests, the president recently defended protesters as he said some governors’ orders are “too tough.”
The president admitted that he watched “some of the protests” but argued that protesters he saw were practicing social distancing.
“I have watched some of the protests — not in great detail. But I have seen that, and they are separated. There’s a lot of space in between I mean they are watching believe it or not. They are doing social distancing if you can believe it and they are, and they are protesting, but they are. The groups I have seen have been very much spread out, so I think that is good.”
See Trump’s remarks below:
However, Dr. Anthony Fauci has expressed concern about the protests. According to the global health expert, stay-at-home protests could backfire and lead to a counterproductive outcome.
As of Tuesday afternoon, several states have announced plans to enter phase one of reopening their economies.