MASS REBELLION
Trump slams ‘mutineers’ as REPUBLICAN joins nine Dem govs to challenge president’s authority to re-open states
A REPUBLICAN governor has joined a group of northeastern Democratic state leaders challenging Trump’s authority to re-open the country - hours after the president slammed the group as “mutineers.”
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker joined the "COVID corridor" states led by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.
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Earlier, Trump tweeted that he enjoyed a "good old fashioned mutiny" and compared the actions of united governors from both coasts to the film "Mutiny On The Bounty."
Trump’s post came after Cuomo called the president "schizophrenic" for claiming he had "total authority" to re-open states.
"Tell the Democrat Governors that "Mutiny On The Bounty" was one of my all time favorite movies," tweeted Trump.
"A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!"
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Upending Trump's claims of a Democratic "mutiny", Baker joined the coalition Tuesday, which was formed to plan the end of the lockdown.
The governor's office confirmed to that Baker is "in touch" with other states in the region - including New York - about the pandemic response.
"The Baker-Polito Administration is in touch with other states in the region including New York and looks forward to participating in discussions with experts regarding the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic," spokesman Terry MacCormack said in a statement to the outlet on Monday.
The war of words comes after:
- Trump asserted that the US president has "total authority” on lifting state lockdowns
- Cuomo yesterday announced that he and eight other governors formed two "re-opening task forces" to plan for the end of coronavirus shutdowns
- Republican Gov. Charlie Baker today revealed he has also joined the re-opening task force in the Northeast
- Baker announcement undercut Trump’s claims that the regional pacts are a partisan effort
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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Delaware Gov. John Carney are also part of the task force.
Cuomo and eight other state leaders launched two coronavirus "re-opening task forces" on Monday - hours after Trump said he had “total authority” to say when states should open.
During his daily briefing Tuesday morning, the New York governor directly addressed Trump's comments.
Cuomo made it known he has no intentions to fight, despite the president "spoiling" for one.
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"The president is clearly spoiling for a fight on this issue. The worst thing we can do in all of this is start with political division and start with partisanship," he said.
"I look forward to working with the president, but he has no fight here, I won't let it happen."
"If he wants a fight with me, he's not going to get it."
Cuomo said any plan to re-open must be driven by data and experts, "not opinion and politics."
"I don’t believe we wind up with a fully common strategy," he said.
"You have different states in different positions."
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New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, and Michigan Congressman Justin Amash pushed back on Trump's claims of "total authority" in a one-sentence resolution introduced on Tuesday.
The resolution says "the House of Representatives affirms that when someone is the president of the United States, their authority is not total."
Amash slammed Trump on Twitter shortly after the president made his comments Monday night.
The Independent even went as far as to say he's "closely" looking at a third-party presidential run against Trump in 2020.
Six northeastern Democratic governors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware launched one pact, while leaders from California, Washington and Oregon launched another group.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the partnership with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
While each state is building a state-specific plan, the three states have agreed to a framework that focuses on them working together.
Cuomo's New York has been hit harder by the than any other state, and 10,000 deaths.
“The reality is this virus doesn’t care about state borders, and our response shouldn’t either,” Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island said, according to .
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy added that "we cannot act on our own. We must be smart & tactical in how our region comes out of this, or else we’ll be right back to square one."
However, "acting on their own" is not an option, according to Trump.
"....It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons," he tweeted.
"With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue.
"A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!"
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Just a day before, Trump asserted that the US president has ";total authority" to order states to end their COVID-19 lockdowns.
But , saying that he wouldn't re-open his state under Trump's orders.
"If he ordered me to re-open in a way that would endanger people - I wouldn't do it," he said.
Cuomo appeared to give a lesson on the interconnected functions of federal and state governments at his daily coronavirus press briefing on Tuesday.
He quoted former US President Alexander Hamilton, who said states' decisions on local matters should supersede those of the federal government.
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He called Trump's comments on the US president having "total authority" inaccurate, saying: "That is not an accurate statement, in my opinion."
"The federal-state relationship is essential to our democracy.
"There are laws, and there are facts, even in this wild political environment."
When asked about Trump's comments, Cuomo said, according to : "I would say let’s see what the federal government's plan is."
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said “we can put together a system that allows our people to get back to work."
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Delaware Gov. John Carney are also part of the task force.
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A total of 570,000 people in the US have been infected with the coronavirus.
Gov. Cuomo has said the reopening must be done carefully and gradually.
“You’ll start to open that valve on the economic activity, and you’ll turn that valve very slowly reopening the economy, more essential workers, do it carefully do it slowly and do it intelligently,” he said, according to .
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New York state's 671 new deaths on Sunday marked the first time in a week that the daily toll dropped below 700.
“This virus is very good at what it does. It is a killer,” Gov. Cuomo said Monday.
U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that parts of the country could gradually reopen as early as next month.
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