The Governor’s have defied his efforts to ‘open up’ the countries economy at the cost of the virus restrictions…
So?
Trump is using his supporters to put pressure on the governors to get HIS way and unite his base against something else than his ‘hands off’ approach to the virus crisis…
President Donald Trump on Friday issued an online call to “LIBERATE” Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia — all states where protesters have gathered in public this week to demonstrate against stay-at-home orders issued by Democratic governors.
“LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” Trump wrote on Twitter, followed soon after by a message that read, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” He also tweeted, “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”
The president’s social media posts come amid growing frustration among some conservative residents over the local directives that have slammed the breaks on the U.S. economy, the strength of which had been a key selling point of Trump’s reelection effort.
Thousands of protesters, many wearing Trump paraphernalia, congregated in recent days in the state capitals of Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, defying stringent coronavirus mitigation measures imposed by Democratic Govs. Tim Walz, Gretchen Whitmer and Ralph Northam.
Although Trump’s tweets seemed to suggest aggrieved residents should disobey state orders, they directly contradict his own statements acknowledging governors’ authority to announce restrictions to combat the disease’s spread.
The tweets also fly in the face of his federal social-distancing guidance, which is in effect until the end of the month, as well as his administration’s new recommendations for states to begin cautiously reopening amid the pandemic….
This from Fox News joining Trump’s efforts…
State and local governments have taken extraordinary measures to slow the spread of the coronavirusin recent weeks, including by closing down restaurants and places for public gatherings — but they’ve also drawn a backlash with efforts seen by some as overly aggressive or even unconstitutional.
One of the focal points of these complaints has been vehicle checkpoints, as states increasingly harden their own borders in a bid to restrict travel from regions hard-hit by the virus….
…
“The ACLU remains very concerned about the enormous breadth of the Governor’s latest directive and its focus on out-of-staters at a time when the state acknowledges that half of Rhode Islanders themselves are not following social distancing rules,” state executive director Steven Brown said in a statement, which is linked to from a section of its site that sums up the organization’s efforts to protect “Fourth Amendment rights.”
Brown continued: “In addition, targeting out-of-staters like this can only promote a divisive ‘us vs. them’ mentality that encourages vilification of others. We fully appreciate that the state is dealing with an emergency crisis that requires emergency actions, but it should not be at the unwarranted expense of our civil rights.”
Rhode Island is far from the only place that’s issuing strict restrictions on travel.
More…
Wait a couple of weeks and there will be even more blood on their hands.
I know Steve Brown, the director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, though only faintly.
As I suspected, FoxNews is citing a rather old statement, dating back to March 29th (almost three weeks ago). I’m not sure how the ACLU of RI feels now.
Here’s the full text, direct from the ACLU RI’s site:
http://www.riaclu.org/news/post/aclu-responds-to-latest-governor-order-against-out-of-state-drivers
I KNOW that Fox thing was bogus…
But it’s just another thing I wanted to use to show that Trump will use WHATEVER he can to get his political advantage…
Trump & Co. ARE MORE scared of the November election results then the virus…
It shows…
I don’t know that that was bogus: in fact, it was quite true at the time.
Since the constitutional issues haven’t changed, I honestly don’t know the current position of the ACLU of Rhode Island. It’s possible that it may have been modified as the state’s policies and methods have changed slightly, but it’s also very possible that that March 29 statement reflects the ACLU RI’s current view.
The Republicans new cry….
“Give Me Liberty And Give me Death”
Good one from a woman commenting on Trumps insisting his signature be on the stimulus checks….
“If I wanted Donald Trumps signature on a check I would have become a porn star.”
Lol!
It would be Michael Cohen’s signature in that case.
By the way, he is getting out of prison now a year and a half early because of COVID concerns.
a lot of people being released from behind bars where the virus is strking prisoners and guards…