President Donald Trump said the US will investigate a conspiracy theory surrounding the coronavirus suggesting it originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Point to be noted that it was originally designed as a weapon to use in biological warfare. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo urged Beijing to come clean on the matter. Moreover, President Trump was triggering a new constitutional crisis by threatening to suspend US Congress on Wednesday over a minor political grievance. Trump’s supporters were staging protests across the country against ongoing stay-at-home orders. There were armed demonstrators chanting ‘Lock her up!’ outside the offices of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Trump presented his MAGA-referencing Opening Up America Again plan after teasing out the release of a set of guidelines for state and local government to start reopening during the epidemic. He said that it would allow some states to start reopening, in spite of criticisms that the plan doesn’t offer any worker protections or consistent enforcement to avoid a spike in outbursts. President said his guidelines offer an efficient and deliberate approach for States to re-open businesses. He has grown impatient with a stalled economy in the wake of the epidemic.
Donald Trump also said that a national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution. On Thursday, President informed governors that they are going to be calling the shots, in spite of informing Americans just days earlier that he has total authority to end quarantine and other efforts linked to the widespread Covid-19. Point to be noted that Ronald Klain led the Ebola response under former US President Barack Obama. Klain said the plan is barely a PowerPoint. However, President’s approval rating dropped 6 percentage points within the 1st weeks of April 2020 and makes the biggest point drop in his presidency. His current 43% rating still hovers above his 40% average.