Trump Says He’ll Decide on Easing Guidelines, Not Governors

By ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is asserting that he is the ultimate decision-maker for determining how and when to relax the social distancing guidelines put in place because of the coronavirus.

Trump’s claim that he could force governors to reopen their states comes after he spent weeks arguing that he didn’t believe he should pressure states that hadn’t imposed stay-at-home restrictions to do so.

Trump has been bristling at criticism that his plan to restore normalcy will cost lives and extend the outbreak.

On Monday Trump tweeted “it is the decision of the President” when to relax the guidelines.

Trump has been pushing to reopen the country as the economy has plummeted during the virus outbreak.