Conservatives must reject Trump’s false claim to ‘total authority’

Despite being informative, President Trump’s daily coronavirus press briefings are sometimes derailed by campaign trail-esque antics. This was the case Monday evening when Trump told reporters that he has “total authority” to override governors and reopen the economy at a time of his choosing.

“I have the ultimate authority,” Trump told the press. “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s got to be. … It’s total. The governors know that. … [They] can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.”