'But the US Constitution says the states maintain public order and safety.'' "The president of the United States calls the shots," Mr Trump said during a combative press conference in which he feuded with reporters.
But the US Constitution says the states maintain public order and safety.
..
Governors assert it is their prerogative when the coronavirus-related restrictions get lifted.
Responding to a Trump tweet earlier in the day claiming unilateral authority on the matter, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania said: "Well, seeing as how we had the responsibility for closing the state down, I think we probably have the primary responsibility for opening it up."
State governors are discussing plans to resume economic activity without apparent input from the Trump administration.
Officials in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania promised an "overwhelmingly prudent" approach, but gave no timeline.
New York has almost 190,000 coronavirus cases and has seen more than 10,000 deaths - among the highest rates in the world.
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Mr Trump told Monday's briefing he did not intend to fire the top US expert on infectious diseases, Anthony Fauci - a day after the president shared a tweet with the hashtag "#firefauci".
Dr Fauci incurred the ire of the president's supporters after he told CNN that lives could have been saved if the US had shut down earlier during the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Trump invited Dr Fauci - a key member of the White House coronavirus task force - to the stage in the opening minutes of the briefing.
The president said that he and Dr Fauci had been on the same page "from the beginning" and declared he liked the respected doctor.
"I think he's a wonderful guy," Mr Trump said, while adding that not everyone was happy with the health expert.
Dr Fauci has contradicted or corrected Mr Trump on scientific matters during the public health crisis. But on Monday, he conceded he had used "a poor choice of words" in his CNN interview.
While Mr Trump initially played down the threat of coronavirus, he was by no means alone among US public officials in doing so.
Dr Fauci himself on 17 February said the danger from coronavirus is "just minuscule" compared with the "real and present danger" of flu.
- BBC,
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