Trump announces plan to restart the economy

(Patria) – US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will soon announce a plan to ease emergency measures and reopen the US economy, and that some parts of the country will be ready by May 1.

Trump also said he would authorize all 50 state governors to work on implementing the plan at a time appropriate for them, and that he would discuss it with them via video link on Thursday.

The day before, the US president had drawn protests from some governors with a statement at a briefing that he possessed 'total authority' that allowed him to order them to lift measures. Although some constitutional experts disputed that the US president had such authority, Trump did not change his stance.

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday, New York Governor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, said he would not follow Trump's orders to lift measures related to reopening the economy because it would endanger New Yorkers, and that any such move would be a constitutional problem as it pits federal states against the federal government.  

- And the worst thing he can do at this moment is to behave dictatorially, in a divisive way, Cuomo said, suggesting it was about Trump's re-election, and added that politics should be 'taken out of crisis management'.

Trump emphasized that he does not intend to pressure individual states to ease measures, explaining that each state will plan its reopening date based on its own indicators.

He also announced a longer list of companies that will be included in his advisory council to help him make decisions about reopening the economy, representing the fields of energy, finance, healthcare, food, sports, and entertainment.

Since the beginning of the epidemic in the US, Trump has been criticized for downplaying the threat of the coronavirus, which allegedly led to a slow response from the state leadership.

On the other hand, the US president is facing a growing threat of economic collapse, which is prompting him to take steps such as easing measures and reopening businesses.

However, he appears determined to restart the economy and pull it out of the slump that has caused at least 17 million unemployed in this world superpower.