On Friday, Trump asked the Governors to reopen churches, mosques and synagogues across the country even though it is not safe due to the spread of coronavirus.
At the White House, Trump arranged for a conference and in a hurry asked all the governors to go by his request or he will “override” them, thought it is not clear on what authority he has to do so.
“Today I’m identifying houses of worship – churches, synagogues and mosques – as essential places that provide essential services.” He didn’t take any questions that day.
A draft was prepared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on reopening guidelines of all houses of worship weeks ago. The guidelines included measures on maintaining distance between parishioners and limiting the size of gatherings.
These guidelines were ready a month back. However, Trump changed everything all of a sudden on Thursday.
On Friday, Trump stressed on the importance of churches and spoke about the reopened businesses.
“Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential” but not churches, he said. “It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”
“These are places that hold our society together and keep our people united. The people are demanding to go to church and synagogue, go to their mosque,” he said.
Trump’s announcement first came out through pandits.
A former federal prosecutor, Renato Mariotti, in a tweet, stated that via presidential decree, he cannot override the State Governors as they don’t work for him.
Earlier, Trump planned to have the churched reopened by Easter Sunday. His own health experts said it was too risky and that the churches in some States have reopened with restrictions eased out.
Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, conducted a survey and they found that about a month before the lockdown, 67 percent of respondents attended religious services.
According to a poll, in a few weeks to come, only 38 percent said they would attend services if they are allowed.
