On Monday, President Donald Trump insisted he had the authority to force states to reopen their economies. The declaration came following the announcements that multiple states have entered into agreements with each other to coordinate the opening up of their respective economies. Trump has stated he wants the economy to reopen by May, but several governors involved in the interstate compacts have been hesitant to give firm dates and have pushed back against Trump’s claims that he can force them to open their economies.
John King, CNN’s chief national political correspondent, said Trump’s declaration was absurd, as the president has no legal authority to force governors to lift their orders.
“What the president said yesterday about his absolute authority, ‘I call the shots,’ is frankly ridiculous,” King said during an interview with Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “That’s just not supported by the constitution.”
King said that Trump’s aggressive posturing with governors has been detrimental, and said he believes Trump would be wiser to work closely with state governments rather than fight with them.
“When you hear the president’s tone, and he starts tweeting, ‘This is a mutiny.’ To me, it’s a wasted day, and we don’t have an hour to waste here,” King said.
John King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of Inside Politics, which you can catch Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. and weekdays at noon.
