Trump approved of Georgia's reopen plan before bashing it

[Eugene]

LBN thread: Trump says he disagrees with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to reopen during coronavirus outbrea

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Source: Associated Press

Trump approved of Georgia’s reopen plan before bashing it

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and BEN NADLER
April 23, 2020

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that they approved of his aggressive plan to allow businesses to reopen, just a day before Trump pulled an about-face and publicly bashed the plan, according to two administration officials.

The green light from Pence and Trump came in separate private conversations with the Republican governor both before Kemp announced his plan to ease coronavirus restrictions and after it was unveiled on Monday, the officials said. Trump’s sudden shift came only after top health advisers reviewed the plan more closely and persuaded the president that Kemp was risking further spread of the virus by moving too quickly.

“I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities,” Trump said Wednesday, just a day after telling reporters that he trusted Kemp’s judgment. “He knows what’s he’s doing.”

On Thursday, he was even harder on the governor: “I wasn’t happy with Brian Kemp, I wasn’t at all happy.”

The extraordinary reversal — and public criticism of a GOP ally — is only the latest in a series of contradictory and confusing messages from the president on how and when he believes governors should ease stay-at-home orders intended to stop the spread of the deadly virus. It demonstrates the political risk for governors in following the unpredictable president’s guidance.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/a031d395d414ffa655fdc65e6760d6a0

[regnaD kciN]

1. Imagine. My. Shock.

[SCantiGOP]

2. It's too obvious

Governors of GA, SC and TN all three decided to override the White House’s just announced rules and open up as test cases. What do all three Govs have in common: they owe their jobs to trump and could never risk irritating him.
Of course he told them to do it, and when his staff convinced him that the GA case especially had a major potential of being a disaster, he didn’t hesitate to lay down the sound bite so he can escape blame if/when it blows up in their faces

[brewens]

3. Trump also discouraged customers from going to the businesses that reopen because of that.

That's probably a good thing the way we see it, but sure to piss off business owners. They already had to know a lot of people would still be laying low, but there went a few more.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Even my dog knows by now that Fat Donny lies,

changes his mind 100% every 24 hours (or less) and throws anyone (even those loyal to him...Hello Cohen) under the bus. Fuck the governors of the states who are opening too early, they are dangerous leaders to their constituents.

[keithbvadu2]

5. From total authority... to total encouragement... to total blame.

Donald makes up his lies as he needs them.