Trump tweets that reopening the country from coronavirus lockdowns 'is the decision of the President,' but it's actually up to the states

Evan Vucci/AP

President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing on the coronavirus outbreak from the White House on March 16, 2020.

• President Donald Trump claimed on Monday in a pair of tweets that it was the president, not the state governors, who had the power to direct states to lift their stay at home orders.
• The power lies with the states that issued the orders.
• As of late March, the Trump administration was not considering a nationwide lockdown or stay at home order, according to Vice President Mike Pence.
• Trump has been impatient to return Americans to normal economic activity, as the coronavirus-related shutdowns have a negative impact on the economy.
• But public health experts have warned that relaxing restrictions on movement too soon will undermine efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted, incorrectly, that it was the president and the federal government who had the power to direct states to lift restrictions imposed because the coronavirus crisis, not the governors who issued the orders in the first place.

It is the latest sign that the president is impatient for the economy to reopen fully, as the markets fluctuate and unemployment skyrockets due to restrictions aimed at keeping Americans home and preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, which, as of Monday morning, has killed more than 21,000 people in the United States and infected over half a million.

Trump's desire to move quickly ramp up economic activity sets up more potential conflicts between the president and public health experts - some of whom expect the shutdown to last several more weeks - and state governors, a handful of whom have clashed with Trump over the federal government's response to the crisis.

In two tweets on Monday, Trump accused the "fake news media" of "creating conflict and confusion" by reporting that governors have these powers, which they do.

"It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons," Trump wrote.

"With that being said," he continued, "The Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!"

However, the orders that have urged Americans to stay at home, closed non-essential businesses, and barred large gatherings only have not been issued by the federal government, but by individual governors, cities, and municipalities. About 95% of Americans are under such orders, according to Insider's analysis, and many of them come with legal penalties or fines for noncompliance.

As Insider's Jake Lahut reported in March, it is the governors that have the power to "reopen" their states by rescinding the orders, and the 10th Amendment of the Constitution protects their right to do so. Trump could consider legal action against states, or use his platform to urge Americans to go out in spite of the orders, but so far has declined to do so.

The Trump administration has, in fact, declined to issue a nationwide lockdown or stay at home order. On March 24, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News that the coronavirus task force he leads had "at no point" discussed such a move.

The White House issued guidelines aimed at urging Americans to "slow the spread" of the coronavirus by practicing good hygiene, avoiding large groups, and other steps. But this was not an official order.

In late March, just as much of the nation began settling into social distancing and quarantine practices, Trump said that he believed America would be "reopen" by Easter, a claim he soon backed down on when it became clear it would not be possible.

The coronavirus has continued to accelerate throughout the U.S., which now has by far the world's largest outbreak, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The president has now started to float a date of May 1, which public health experts see as unrealistic. At an April 10 White House coronavirus task force briefing, Trump also declared that he would be creating an "Opening our Country Council," aimed at jump starting the economy.

On Sunday, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn told ABC News's "This Week" that the May 1 date "is a target, and, obviously, we're hopeful about that target, but I think it's just too early to be able to tell that we see light at the end of the tunnel."

"I think it's just too early for us to say whether May 1 is that date," Hahn said.

Read more:

About 95% of Americans have been ordered to stay at home. This map shows which cities and states are under lockdown.

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.

Get the latest coronavirus business & economic impact analysis from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is affecting industries.

....It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020

NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths