Trump Criticizes Georgia Governor for Decision to Reopen State

pulse

April 23, 2020 6:07 AM

ATLANTA — President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized the decision of a political ally, Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, to allow many businesses to reopen this week, saying the move was premature given the number of coronavirus cases in the state.

Trump Criticizes Georgia Governor for Decision to Reopen State

“I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he is doing,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “I think it’s too soon.”

Kemp, a Republican, announced Monday he had cleared the way for what he described as a measured process meant to bolster the economy, as Georgia, like the rest of the nation, grapples with the devastation brought by the pandemic.

Yet the decision was immediately assailed, as public health experts, the mayors of Georgia’s largest cities and others warned that it stood to have perilous consequences. Mayors said the decision had caught them off guard and questioned its wisdom. Business owners who were otherwise eager to revive their livelihoods said they would hold off.

The governor’s plan gives permission to gyms, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen Friday. Then, Monday, restaurants are allowed to resume dine-in service, and movie theaters and other entertainment venues can reopen.

“I love those people that use all of those things — the spas, the beauty parlors, barbershops, tattoo parlors,” Trump said Wednesday. “I love them. But they can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit — not much, because safety has to predominate.”

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also expressed concern. “I would tell him that he should be careful,” he said about Kemp at the White House briefing Wednesday.

“I know that there is a desire to move ahead quickly,” he continued. “But going ahead and leapfrogging into phases where you should not be, I would advise him as a health official and as a physician not to do that.”

Kemp acknowledged speaking with Trump in a series of Twitter posts after the president’s briefing. And while he praised Trump for his “bold leadership and insight,” he gave no indication he was reconsidering his decision.

“Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials,” he wrote.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .

pulse