President Donald Trump wants the restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus to be lifted by Easter.
In a tweet on Wednesday, he claimed that the media is a “driving force” in the opposition to lifting the restrictions. He also suggested that the media wants the limits to stay in place to hurt his re-election chances.
“The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!”
The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020
Trump’s tweets come as roughly 100 million Americans are under stay at home orders. State governments say the measures are aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus to try to ensure that hospitals and healthcare workers are not overwhelmed by a surge of coronavirus patients.
However, Trump has grown weary of the move to shut down the country, as several reports have estimated that the measures could result in a devastating blow to the economy.
On Tuesday, he tweeted, “THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM.”
Our people want to return to work. They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM! Congress MUST ACT NOW. We will come back strong!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020
However, while Trump has signaled that he would like to see Americans back at work and no longer confined to their homes, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, poured cold water on the idea of lifting the restrictions too early.
“We say we need to be flexible, he realizes that, and he accepts that,” he said.
Additionally, the World Health Organization has warned that lifting the restrictions too soon could lead to a second wave of the virus.
The World Health Organization is warning that opening schools and businesses too early could cause a resurgence.
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) March 25, 2020
Despite Trump’s desire to make sure the country is open for business by Easter, several experts have noted that he has a limited power to make that happen.
