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Trump Is Getting Called Out for Rank Hypocrisy After Declaring That Only He Has the Power to 'Open Up the States'

Trump Is Getting Called Out for Rank Hypocrisy After Declaring That Only He Has the Power to 'Open Up the States'
Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has repeatedly left governors to fend for themselves when it comes to curbing the spread of the deadly virus that's upended daily life in the United States.

He's insisted that the federal government—and its emergency stockpiles of lifesaving medical equipment—should only be relied upon by the states as a backup.


Trump has expressed an eagerness to reopen the hundreds of thousands of businesses forced to close as the virus spreads, in an effort to revive the economy—a crucial talking point in favor of his reelection.

There's just one problem: that decision doesn't lie with Trump.

It's been the governors and other local leaders across the country who—left to their own agency by the President—issued stay at home orders for their states.

Now, Trump is claiming the decision to reopen the economy has been his all along.


Surprise! This is false, but we'll get to that in a second.

Trump's tweet marked a reversal from his previous claims that governors—not him—were responsible for their states and subsequently, the blame.

People noticed.




In addition to being hypocritical, Trump is just plain wrong.

The 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution—which Trump took an oath to uphold—states:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

The President never issued a national stay at home order, so there's not one for him to repeal.

People pointed out that Trump was incorrect—unless he planned on violating the Constitution, which wouldn't be all that surprising.




It will be interesting to see what Trump says if he's confronted with this information at today's press conference.

For a deeper look into Trump's ineptitude, check out A Very Stable Genius, available here.