No, President Trump, You Can't 'Reopen America'

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https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/president-trump-reopen-america-governors-983152/


April 13, 2020 5:37PM ET
No, President Trump, You Can’t ‘Reopen America’

Governors issued the orders that shut down the economy, which means it’s up to them to rescind those orders
By David S. Cohen

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Trump’s understanding of the Constitution and the relationship between the federal government and the states is nothing short of a complete rewriting of the basic structure of this country. Recognizing this, Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) responded to Trump’s tweets today by saying that the president “is flat-out wrong” and that he needs to “put down the authoritarianism and read the Constitution.”

But there’s an important third reason why the president doesn’t have the authority to reopen America. Ultimately, the only way America is reopened is if the people agree to do so. To put it in the words that start the Constitution, “We the people” will decide when the country opens back up based on when we feel comfortable going back to school, heading into work, attending sporting events, and shopping in stores.

If we continue to be scared of this virus and the possibility of follow-up waves of infections when restrictions are lifted, then we are the ones who will keep the country shut down and the economy closed, no matter what any politician — governor or president — says. After all, the economy doesn’t function without people working and spending. And, to put a fine point on it, no matter what the president wants for his business friends, he can’t order us to participate in the economy if we don’t feel safe doing so.

If Trump understood and/or believed in the U.S. Constitution, he would realize that this isn’t how it works. But, as political blogger Jeff Tiedrich wrote earlier today in responding to the president’s tweets, “Three years as head of the government and you still have no idea how any of it works.” Trump still thinks he runs a business, not a constitutional democracy.

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