Gov. Inslee calls out President Trump’s ‘unhinged rantings’
Apr 17, 2020, 1:54 PM | Updated: 4:51 pm
Trump and Inslee (AP, TVW)
(AP, TVW)
Less than 24 hours after President Trump and the Coronavirus Task Force said they were reopening America with a three-step approach, the President took to Twitter to goad states.
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Washington Governor Jay Inslee said the president’s Twitter storm could lead to violence. Inslee called the plan announced Thursday by Trump “sensible,” but noted that his actions Friday threaten his own goal of recovery for the nation.
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, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.
Yesterday, the president told the nation science would guide his plan for easing restrictions. The White House released a sensible plan to resume economic activity.
24 hrs later he is off the rails, ignoring his own plan and spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric.
The president’s actions threaten his own goal of recovery. His words will likely cause a spike in infections where distancing is working.
That will further postpone the 14 days of decline his own guidance says is necessary to ease restrictions.
We appreciate our continued relationship with the vice president, Dr. Birx, Admiral Polowczyk, Admiral Giroir and others.
But their work is undermined by the president’s irresponsible actions.
I hope someday we can look at today’s meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned.
But we don’t have that luxury today. There is too much at stake.
I encourage political leaders to speak out firmly against the president’s calls for rebellion.
Americans need to work together to protect each other. That’s what is working in WA.
And it’s the only way to slow the spread of this virus and get us on the road to recovery.
On Thursday, President Trump detailed a three-step set of guidelines for easing restrictions over a span of several weeks in places that have robust testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases, assuring the nation’s governors: “You’re going to call your own shots.”
During the coronavirus press briefing, President Trump was asked about the Governor’s statement and explained the intent of the tweets.
.@realDonaldTrump explains his "LIBERATE" tweets, responding to absurd claims by WA Gov Jay Inslee saying they will lead to violence. President Trump was very clearly referring to draconian measures put into place that is more about violating civil liberties than fighting covid. pic.twitter.com/E3pDH0kI9A
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) April 17, 2020
Governors of both parties Friday suggested they would be cautious in returning to normal, with some of them warning that they can’t do it without help from Washington, D.C., to expand testing.
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On Friday morning, President Trump tweeted:
Today people started losing their jobs because of Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, and the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, who should immediately come back to Washington and approve legislation to help families in America. End your ENDLESS VACATION!
Followed by, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! and LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”
The president later tweeted that the states need to “step up their testing!”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
