Trump Backs Protests & Encourages His Base to Defy Virus Restrictions
Who would have ever imagined that they would see a day when the President of the United States signaled his support for demonstrations against lawful restrictions implemented to ensure the safety of the nation's citizens, restrictions that his own administration says are necessary to combat Covid-19. Irresponsible doesn't even begin to describe it; it's lunacy.
Conservative commentator Bill Kristol was even more critical, explaining that Trump's reckless tweets "endanger not just the citizens of their states in general but law enforcement officers trying to enforce the law in particular."
Kristol, Twitter: "Trump's reckless rhetoric could encourage--let's be honest, it will encourage, and it's intended to encourage--his followers to ignore lawful state orders. It will lead to lawless acts that endanger the well-being of other Americans"....
But, none of that matters to the President, and protests organized and supported by Republican or pro-Trump organizations continued in Michigan, Minnesota and other states yesterday.
Washington Post: "In Michigan, hundreds of people clogged traffic in cars or marched in the snow to protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who last week added additional restrictions to the state’s stay-at-home order. Protesters waved American flags, Trump flags and an occasional Confederate flag. Many screamed “Lock her up!” and “We will not comply!”
The important point, and the thing that seems to escape the demonstrators, is that the regulations they are protesting don't just keep them safe; they keep everyone safe. It's not about impinging on their liberty, it's about protecting society generally. And their insistence on returning things to normal too soon puts all of us in danger.
Washington Post: "Public health experts have said any premature easing of stay-at-home orders could lead to a second wave of pandemic, erasing the social distancing progress, returning the population to quarantine, deepening the economic turmoil and resulting in more lives lost."
Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state was unsparing yesterday in his description of the President's actions.
Inslee, WA State Gov.: “The president’s statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to “liberate” states could also lead to violence. We’ve seen it before."
"The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted."
By: Don Lam & Curated Content
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