How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests/how-trump-allies-have-organized-and-promoted-anti-lockdown-protests-idUSKCN2233ES
April 21, 2020 / 6:56 PM
How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests
Michael Martina, Jarrett Renshaw, Tim Reid
HARRISBURG, Pa./DETROIT (Reuters) - Republican politicians and individuals affiliated with President Donald Trumps re-election campaign are organizing or promoting anti-lockdown protests across key electoral battleground states, despite the White Houses own cautious guidance on relaxing restrictions, interviews with two dozen people involved show.
In Michigan, the organizers of last weeks rally against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic are involved in the Republican presidents re-election effort, a Reuters review of their profiles and interviews with them show.
In other swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina, Republican lawmakers, party leaders and Trump allies encouraged their social media followers to join the protests and attended the events themselves.
Their actions contradict the Trump administrations recommendations for a slow and phased reopening, as well as warnings from its own medical experts that opening the economy too fast risks a resurgence of the novel coronavirus that has infected almost 810,000 people in the United States and killed over 45,000 - the worlds highest number of cases and deaths.
A bipartisan majority of Americans - 88% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans - also want to continue to shelter in place despite the impact on the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday.