DONALD Trump will win or lose his reelection campaign in the next month if he doesn’t end the coronavirus lockdown, it’s claimed.
The warning came after his supporters staged demonstrations across the country against the strict stay-at-home rules which are aimed at curbing Covid-19 transmission.
Trump‘s growing dilema came as anti-lockdown demonstrations broke out across America this weekend, including New York City, Texas, San Diego and Chicago.
But rather than being isolated protests, the demos suggest a groundswell of opinion against the restrictive measures that have seen millions of Americans flung out of work.
More than 22 million citizens have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month.
Conservative groups’ internal polling in Republican-leaning and swing states show surging numbers of voters who favor reopening the country.
The growing controversy comes as:
Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group which recently polled on ending the lockdown, told Politico: “If you don’t see something start to happen… you’re going to see a conservative revolt by our base.
“The worst strategy for him is to keep things shut until August.
“Trump is basically going to win or lose his election right now, in the next month.”
Trump is pushing to relax the U.S. lockdown by May 1, but that hinges on a coronavirus testing target.
And should reopening the economy cause a surge in coronavirus deaths, Trump could of course experience a severe backlash.
The US has by far the world’s highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infected and more than 38,000 deaths.
Trump is basically going to win or lose his election right now, in the next month
Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks
But Trump political allies are pointing to positive signs, with decreasing in death rates in New York and flattening of spike of cases in California.
And they are calling for the economy to reopen now before any more damage can be done.
The president’s own guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions.
But he appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors.
Yesterday demonstrations took place across the country, with many demanding an immediate lifting of restrictions and chanting “Let us work!”
Trump later made his position clear at the White House press conference.
He said: “I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away.
“We continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak.”
Namely speaking about the restrictions that have been put in place in Michigan, the president said: “Don’t buy paint.
“Don’t buy roses… she’s got all these crazy things.
“Some of them are being unreasonable, I really believe that.”
But New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who has sparred with Donald Trump repeatedly during the coronavirus outbreak, said: “We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately.”
Many sought an immediate lifting of restrictions and chanted “Let us work!”
The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps.
More than 200 people stood close together outside the governor’s mansion in Indianapolis, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Holcomb lift restrictions.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott already said that restrictions will begin easing next week.
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