Trump warns governors: let places of worship open this weekend

Yet again, someone needs to explain to Trump that there are limits to his power. He's the President, not Grand Poobah.

"If they don't do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less," he said.

Yes, more prayers.  That should fix it.

And here is why this is another dumb idea (church in Arkansas last week):

In total, 92 people attended the church events leading to 35 people later being confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Three of the attendees at these events died. The investigation states those who tested positive ranged from under 18 years of age to over 65 with the majority being between 19 to 64-years-old.

In addition, another 26 people were confirmed to have contracted coronavirus among members in the community who had contact with those who attended church events

And that is from just one church.

The governors have no right to ignore the Constitution.

Can you point out to me where in the Constitution it states that places of worship must stay open during a pandemic?

If liquor stores can be open, so can be places of worship.

Are you saying that large congregations of people pack together closely for an hour or more and sing loudly in unison — in liquor stores?

I just read a piece in Politico about how Trump’s approval ratings for his pandemic response have plummeted among religious conservatives. Trump is again willing to sacrifice people’s lives for the sake of his own re-election.

What a pathetic man. Trump doesn’t have a religious bone in his body. Totally disingenuous.

but did not say under what authority he would act to force the reopening of religious facilities.

Hail the emperor! Once again Trump's confusing the role of a president with that of an authoritarian royal in his ongoing attempts to undermine the Constitution's balance and separation of powers. He is the grave digger of the republic.

Hold your horses there. Did you see the video interview Biden just did on the breakfast club with Charlemagne tha God? Where Charlemagne intimated that Biden shouldn't depend on the black vote so casually this time around. To which Biden replied, "if you're still wondering who to vote for than you ain't black.

And he's right. Look at the overwhelming support for Biden by the black folk. Like, a 20% lead over Trump and the Republacist party.

It seems like a blatant assault on religion and freedom of assembly.

That's a perspective. Part of the reason governments are being cautious is because no one knows for certain what more this virus can do; they've found it spreads person to person easily. The costs of the virus are staggering, and governments are picking up most of the costs.

Physical distancing is seen as a way to limit its spread. Maybe some churches have the capacity to keep worshippers 2 meters apart.

If you're American you're well aware we're a litigious society. I'm sure governments at all levels fear the lawsuits coming from this virus. If governments say it's OK to go back to work or to gather in churches or wherever and someone gets sick after having done so, I have little doubt we'll hear that great America whine 'I'm gonna sue!'

Under what law could you potentially sue the government for allowing you to choose to do something????

Ask sources at one of the internet research agencies to look for the thousands of examples of Americans suing governments at all levels.

The Las Vegas strip is reopening June 4. So time for liberals to just give up the ghost of lockdown past and let people go about their business and regain their personal freedoms and liberties. to include religious activities.

I guess you have to be a Trump supporter to put "Las Vegas" and "religious activities" in the same sentence and think they go together...

Well, I guess it's understandable if you say you're an evangelical yet support a guy who hangs put with porn stars...

By winter, coronavirus will just be another virus that some people catch and get sick from. Especially if Dems win the election, thats the end of the daily death count tracker.

More "it's only the flu" BS....and by winter the "Trump death tally" will likely be over 150K...with most of those his supporters who followed his medical advice on how to infect or poison yourself...

oh, so now Fox News is credible, but just for this one thing? how convenient.

Are you saying they aren't?

@plasticmonkey

Are you saying that large congregations of people pack closely together for an hour or more and sing loudly in unison-in liquor stores?

Never been to Glasgow?

exactly the same as "If you dont vote for me, you aint black". good timing on that one.

Except I'm not Joe Biden and have never expressed my support for him, so I fail to see how this remark has any value over the several arguments I have provided and you have now spectacularly failed to counter.

My point, without your attempt at twisting, is this: If LAS VEGAS can be open, so can churches.

Las Vegas shouldn't be open and neither should churches.

I wonder if Trump ever attends confession?

Unlikely, he's not religious and is incapable of admitting wrong doing.

oh, so now Fox News is credible, but just for this one thing? how convenient.

I didn't say they were credible - I just posted their poll. Your President said they were not credible - do you agree with him?

"The report found that more than a third of 92 people who attended events at the church from March 6 to 11 contracted confirmed cases of COVID-19, and three later died. "

Yea, duh... You must believe like Trump that the virus will just disappear - or maybe all these parishioners this weekend have already taken their Clorox cure?

It is NOT essential. Pray at home, if need be. It can be done anywhere. If Muslims can do it, so can anyone else.

Despite a wave of critical news coverage and Democratic catcalls, President Trump sits at his “highest” approval in the latest Gallup survey, and above where four of the last six presidents, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, were at this point of the first term.

I hope you are not cherry-picking polls again showing Trump at his highest.

Let’s stick with the averages. It’s more honest.

The hypocrisy of it all ... the agnostic, amoral, unethical current occupant of the White House is only after getting his religious followers to vote for him.

Nothing more than one more trick of his nonstop reelection campaign.

I want to see how Trump supporters talk their way out of this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqzYpPtsn6g

Trump's own words working against him!

How will he talk his way out of this...

Trump likes to sound like he's taking the holy high road on this issue, but he could end up killing even more people than he already has. Maybe he's trying to outdo himself.

People can pray at home just as easily and they can send money to support their local churches. God will understand! The president certainly doesn't.

@Serrano The governors have no right to ignore the Constitution. ..What are you on about again your man has been doing that since he took office...

I take it you have NEVER actually read the constitution! Trump plays on your ignorance and everyone else's who thinks what he says is fact!

Our beloved president, trump has shown nothing but compassion and kindness to his fellow humans.

He has the greatest respect for immigrants and minorities, he puts women on a pedestal and the disabled, especially disabled reporters, have received nothing but love and encouragement from him.

So there is no surprise he wants Churches to be open, what else can you expect from such a moral man!!

Sarcasm runs deep in this one! Sadly too many ignorant disciples of Trump believe this horse-crap!

People who equate church to a Broadway play or live house might wanna sit this one out. Church is critical part of the community infrastructure in rural and suburban areas. even more so in black communities.

And this has absolutely nothing to do with their architecture and space management issues during a pandemic, which is the only reason for the closing of all three of those examples.

rights are not granted by governments. they are inherent from the creator.

Rights are man-made.

End of.

And the real reason we see this Trump "worship" comment today...

Behind Trump’s demand to reopen churches: Slipping poll numbers and alarm inside his campaign

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/22/trump-churches-evaneglicals-coronavirus-274842

BINGO!

The MSM (Fox News) has Biden up by eight points nationwide, and winning every swing state.

Gallup said that Trump’s approval is “tied for the best of his presidency.”

so much for the "hes looking for something for his approval rating" narrative.

Yea, and Fox News said this....

A new Fox News poll finds former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump by 8 points nationally, with the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee opening up wide leads among independents and older voters who broke for Trump in 2016.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/499077-fox-news-poll-biden-leads-trump-by-8-points-nationally

Ooops - time for a Twitter meltdown....

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/499148-trump-lashes-out-at-fox-news-after-poll-shows-him-trailing-biden

Here we go again - "Stable Genius" Trump says one thing, his own CDC medical experts say another...

CDC Issues Alarming Triple-Fatality Report On COVID-19 Cases At Arkansas Church

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cdc-covid-19-arkansas-church-contagion-trump_n_5ec847b1c5b6cc6f9b7344eb

More clear evidence Trump is trying to kill his supporters...

oh, so now Fox News is credible, but just for this one thing? how convenient.

Fox used to be my gospel channel, they reported news beautifully, providing the right context . I know some of their anchors are called ‘Band of Bigots’ but I think they wee misunderstood.

But now Fox has started reporting facts and I cannot stand them any more.

Now it’s OAN all the way , they understand our old fashioned values better than anyone.

suicidal

But when you allow liqour stores, gun stores, and abortion clinics to still operate; yet you specifically ban religious congregations

Nobody spends one hour sitting in an abortion clinic with 50 other people, breathing the same stale covid filled air. Are you really going to pretend that the use of and time spent in the facilities you mention really has nothing to do with the opening of one and closing of the other? Churches need to be closed for the same reason that off-off Broadway theaters and punk live houses need to stay closed. But of course you can't use punk live houses to make astonishingly hypocritical virtue signalling arguments.

Liberals are the tolerant crowd supposedly.

You'd have to ask a liberal.

In the meantime, ask an adult or teacher about basic politics to get you started.

I'd like to know when the last time Trump was in a place of worship on a Sunday instead of on his golf course at Bedminster...

I know one thing - if Trump ever did attend church, I'd never sit in the same pew with him....

Having someone sitting next to you that has broken all Ten Commandments?

You know that big lightening bolt will be coming down...

This whole issue of Trump wanting to open places of worship is all just part and parcel of his fake claim of a "war on religion" - perpetrated by him and the far-right media hate machine....

Here's a guy that only sets a foot in a church when he wants to marry another wife...and has broken each of the Ten Commandments - some multiple times...

That his supporters buy into this fairy tale just goes to show how easy it is to manipulate some folks...

A fact Putin proved very clearly in 2016...

Adide of being a stupid move, Trump has no authority to do this.

Mostly an election move.

@Black

my exact point is that liberals are fighting to keep churches closed. Yet the Las Vegas strip is reopening on June 4. that tells me that if Las Vegas can reopen, so can churches. In what world on June 5 with Las Vegas open can you make an argument that churches should still be closed?

LOL! Your logic and assumptions are weak! You are discussing an irrelevant Las Vegas with assumptions that you can even prove.

What makes you think that anyone here believes the Las Vegas strip should be open right now or instead of churches?

Some might say our beloved president, trump has failed miserably in containing the virus , that is why he is trying to appeal to the so called religious right.

However I am sure it’s because our beloved president, trump is very religious.

Maybe if churches reopen, they should not have choirs practice.

How a superspreader at choir practice sickened 52 people with COVID-19

https://www.livescience.com/covid-19-superspreader-singing.html

Will you be supporting Trump this Sunday and attend church for prayer? And remember the donation plate.

Remember, our beloved president, trump, takes from the donation plate, rather than contributing to it.

Nothing wrong with it, he might need it!!!

After all it is for the needy!!

oh you mean those personal attacks on my chosen religion and my closely held, personal religious beliefs?

Had I chosen to attack you personally, my posts would have been rightfully moderated. They haven't.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Which also means that as the President he can not interfere either, so Trump is breaking the law by getting into an issue where "church and state" should be separated.

The old orange Pharisee, focused on his reelection propects, is just pandering to his base. Ironically, they will be the ones most likely to heed HMV and congregate in churches putting themselves most at risk for contracting corona.

And Biden's gaffe is just more of his trade-mark malarkey, another sign of his slowing wits. He's obviously never heard of OITNB.

The needy need to work as well

How?

Do you think doors just open up for the unemployed and marginalized?

He can't! This is just an appeal to the right-wing evangelical nut-cases in Merica' that THINK what ever Trump says is law!

Actually the defeat of the states rights argument in the 1960s in the Federal enforcement of civil rights argues in favor of Trumps view. Freedom of religion is a civil right. It is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. It’s the very first amendment in the Bill of Rights. Due to precedent, civil rights is no longer considered to be within the domain of states rights. That’s the segregationists’ argument. Trump will win if he pushes this.

Biden is basically the nominee due to having one influential person in the black community endorse him, then using the community churches to get the word out.

This same unofficial community of churchgoers can also make Biden not the nominee anymore. Charlamagne is more of an urban influencer, but with the internet the word is already out to the community. I am sure the younger generation will be discussing these comments before/after church services as this is quite common to have social commentary involved with chuchgoing.

So I guess its critical that at least the black churches stay closed a while longer until Bidens comments blow over, or until he chooses a black female VP as an attempt at contrition. (new slogan: you dont have to vote for me, but vote for her!)

again, not allowing people to go to church is not the same as not allowing broadway play attendance or going to a punk live house. No where even close to the same.

Liquor store, weed store, abortion clinic, all essential. Church? non-essential? That doesnt fly in many parts of the USA.

Walmart and the big box stores are supposedly safe. Been open the entire pandemic and I have never heard of one of them starting a new cluster. So why dont we attend church and vote in person at Walmart?

oh you mean those personal attacks on my chosen religion and my closely held, personal religious beliefs? to include how and where the government supposedly "allows" me and people like me to worship? I wont be addressing those. You only feel comfortable making them because I said "church" not mosque or synagogue.

rights are not granted by governments. they are inherent from the creator.

spectacularly failed to counter.

I own my words, the untwisted by you version. You do know you can talk about 2 unrelated things in one sentence right?

my exact point is that liberals are fighting to keep churches closed. Yet the Las Vegas strip is reopening on June 4. that tells me that if Las Vegas can reopen, so can churches. In what world on June 5 with Las Vegas open can you make an argument that churches should still be closed?

It is NOT essential. Pray at home, if need be.

But it might be to them and they don’t have to pray at home if they don’t want to.

It can be done anywhere. If Muslims can do it, so can anyone else.

True, but if Christians and Jews feel they need to be with other congregations members, who are we to say, they’re wrong? Leave them to worship the way they want.

no, you might want to revisit the mocking and derision towards people (assumed Trump voters) who simply want to go to their house of worship (church).

Tells me all I need to know that the words mosque and synagogue have not been used in the comments, despite being included in the article. If you take out Christian and replace with "Jew" or take out "church" and replace with "mosque", you would easily see how reprehensible some of the statements actually are.

Would you mock someone who wants to go to mosque this weekend with such flippant comments? Would you treat their religion with derision? you wouldnt dare.

After all it is for the needy!!

The needy need to work as well and the so called compassionate Democrats don’t seem that passionate after all.

The needy need to work and our beloved president, trump will start working one day.

The President is working, he’s not playing golf.

The democrats , on the other hand, want to keep the people of the country safe.

By not letting people go to work, poverty kills...well, at any rate, 2 more weeks maximum and the Dems plans on keeping people on lockdown will ultimately fail.

They sure have their priorities wrong !!!

...When it comes to people wanting to work....

The Las Vegas strip is reopening June 4. So time for liberals to just give up the ghost of lockdown past and let people go about their business and regain their personal freedoms and liberties. to include religious activities.

By winter, coronavirus will just be another virus that some people catch and get sick from. Especially if Dems win the election, thats the end of the daily death count tracker.

exactly the same as "If you dont vote for me, you aint black". good timing on that one.

the host simply wanted to know what Biden would actually do for the black community. Dont question me, do what is expected of your race and vote Dem.

Empty words to get votes and promote an agenda they don't really care about.

At this time, opening places of worship are not needed. Low down on the list.

Maybe not for you, but important to those that want to worship.

Anyway, I’m all for people wanting to go out and worship, if that’s what they want to do, happy the President is sticking up for these people.

And the real reason we see this Trump "worship" comment today...

Behind Trump’s demand to reopen churches: Slipping poll numbers and alarm inside his campaign

If you tend to believe them.

I choose to believe this more.

Trump is at 46% approval now, still good for an incumbent

Maybe if churches reopen, they should not have choirs practice.

People are well aware of the risks. Let them choose for themselves. It’s not as if the vast majority will not be taking precautions. What is much worse than people making a free choice by going to church was the Governor of NY forcing recovering pandemic patients back into nursing homes leading to many more deaths than necessary. These people had no choice and neither did those who died as a result.

see above, your guy put church together with punk live houses and broadway plays. someone else lumped it in with abortion clinics.

My point, without your attempt at twisting, is this: If LAS VEGAS can be open, so can churches.

I guess you have to be a Trump supporter to put "Las Vegas" and "religious activities" in the same sentence and think they go together...

regardless, no need for the back and forth.

Trump "wins" this one, as liberals are actively speaking out against churches reopening. People continue to end up in the strangest positions when its mandatory to take the opposite side of Trump every time. (weed store open! church closed)

Churches are not just the evangelical vote, but a large portion of the black, Hispanic and suburban votes as well. Then once you included synagogues and mosques, even more people are negatively affected by closures.

Hopefully voters of all religions (not just evangelicals) will remember on election day who is trying to allow them their freedom of religion and who is denying it.

nice backpedal. Doesnt change that you would have never addressed me personally in the first place or questioned my faith or necessity of my place of worship if I had said "yeah i totally support my President demanding that my mosque be able to reopen".

gotta tiptoe carefully around the various off limits groups. Biden messed up on that today, telling black people they arent black if they dont vote for him.

Here's a guy that only sets a foot in a church when he wants to marry another wife...and has broken each of the Ten Commandments - some multiple times...

That his supporters buy into this fairy tale just goes to show how easy it is to manipulate some folks...

Ludicrous! If we go by morality, then we are all sinners and not perfect when it comes to listening the commandments. Look at the Kennedy’s, Johnson, Clinton’s, all religious, all flawed.

A fact Putin proved very clearly in 2016...

So debunked and liberals continue to beat a dead horse.

last week:

Despite a wave of critical news coverage and Democratic catcalls, President Trump sits at his “highest” approval in the latest Gallup survey, and above where four of the last six presidents, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, were at this point of the first term.

After two weeks of bad news on the coronavirus and economic front, Trump maintained his 49% approval rating, and his disapproval crept up just 1 point, to 48% in the Gallup survey of adults, a broad test.

Gallup said that Trump’s approval is “tied for the best of his presidency.”

so much for the "hes looking for something for his approval rating" narrative.

People who equate church to a Broadway play or live house might wanna sit this one out. Church is critical part of the community infrastructure in rural and suburban areas. even more so in black communities.

Will you be supporting Trump this Sunday and attend church for prayer? And remember the donation plate.

Lol, cute.

below weed stores, liquor stores, abortion clinics, beaches, parks, department stores, pro wrestling, UFC fights? which are all open.

At this time, opening places of worship are not needed. Low down on the list.

@Serrano The governors have no right to ignore the Constitution. ..What are you on about again your man has been doing that since he took office...

No, but the Democrats have.

It’s good optics when Trump is seen as wanting churches open while liberals want them closed. Black churches are also where outside information is reshared by the pastor to the community. information like Biden’s racial comments for those who didn’t hear them

yet we have this thing called the Constitution. that overrides your feelings on the matter of what might be "good enough" for others.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

oh, so now Fox News is credible, but just for this one thing? how convenient.

nice try

"The report found that more than a third of 92 people who attended events at the church from March 6 to 11 contracted confirmed cases of COVID-19, and three later died. "

A new Fox News poll finds former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump by 8 points nationally, with the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee opening up wide leads among independents and older voters who broke for Trump in 2016.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/499077-fox-news-poll-biden-leads-trump-by-8-points-nationally

Ooops - time for a Twitter meltdown....

Since Trump beats Biden by over 53% in the economy, he’s pretty much nailed his second term..

Yea, duh... You must believe like Trump that the virus will just disappear - or maybe all these parishioners this weekend have already taken their Clorox cure?

Or maybe liberals believe that air will magically feed their families and free money will just fall in their laps, the lazies

Nobody spends one hour sitting in an abortion clinic with 50 other people, breathing the same stale covid filled air.

How would you know this?

Are you really going to pretend that the use of and time spent in the facilities you mention really has nothing to do with the opening of one and closing of the other? Churches need to be closed for the same reason that off-off Broadway theaters and punk live houses need to stay closed. But of course you can't use punk live houses to make astonishingly hypocritical virtue signalling arguments.

Interesting.....anyhoo, thankfully, this lockdown is on a countdown, can’t happen soon enough"

If liquor stores can be open, so can be places of worship.

"He has no authority to do this. The governors are in no sense subordinates of the president," said Robert Chesney, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law.

The governors have no right to ignore the Constitution. People have a right to gather to worship. It can be done safely.

suicidal

Uh, no, revival.