President Donald Trump’s frustration with stay-at-home orders across the country is understandable, as is his desire to get America working again. But several recent assertions from the president indicate a poor understanding of the powers of his office and a persistent disconnect between his desires and the reality of the coronavirus outbreak.
More than 40 governors have issued stay-at-home orders that have closed businesses, closed schools and put millions of Americans out of work. As the country works to mitigate the situation, it is reasonable to begin planning for a grand reopening.
“I’m going to have to make a decision, and I only hope to God that it’s the right decision,” Trump said last week. “It’s the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make. I have great authority if I want to use it. I would rather have the states use it. I have absolute authority to use it.”
Asked which metrics he would use to make such a decision, Trump pointed to his forehead and said, “The metrics right here, that’s my metrics.”
That provides little reassurance for Americans who are eager to balance restarting the economy with protecting public health. Trump should place great weight on the advice of health experts and heed the words of Dr. Anthony Fauci: “The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open. The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”
Trump is expected today to announce the formation of an Opening Our Country Council, which would help formulate plans for putting people back to work. That is a good idea, with guidance from the federal government being essential to creating what Trump predicts will be “just a tremendous surge” of economic activity.
But when it comes to deciding the timeline for such activity, the federal government has limited power. Decisions to rescind stay-at-home orders will be up to governors and mayors, people better suited to determine the best course of action for local communities.
With many states — including Washington — already announcing that schools will remain closed until the fall, it is unrealistic to expect the economy to fully open anytime soon. As New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said: “I don’t understand how you’d start businesses in May, but not open schools until June. You have to coordinate the businesses with the schools.” There is no sense telling a parent to return to work when they now have school-age children at home and no available day care.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has extended this state’s stay-at-home until early May. But he also has announced that public schools will be closed through the end of the scheduled school year, leaving no realistic prospect for an economic surge. Inslee also has noted that it might be necessary to further extend business closures, depending on the progress of COVID-19.
Cuomo has called talk of a premature timeline for opening businesses “corrosive and destructive.” That is an accurate assessment, with Trump’s expressed desire to reopen the economy creating unrealistic expectations and obfuscating necessary discussions. The president’s approach is akin to a 5-year-old wanting ice cream for dinner — they want what they want and they want it now.
While all Americans are weary from the effects of the pandemic and concerned about its long-term economic impact, governors will have the final say on when it is safe and appropriate for businesses to reopen. We trust they will use actual metrics rather than the ones in their heads.
