If it’s officially declared, then it’s not just de facto – but no, a president would not be required to go as far as a declaration of martial law.
Presidents have taken “emergency powers” into their own hands before – from Thomas Jefferson to Abe Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to George Walker Bush. All of these were accused of violating the Constitution but, for various reasons, the accusations did not leave us with a body of law that rules out seizure of “emergency powers” at the federal level.
In current circumstances, if Trump were to issue a “national stay-at-home order” or some such thing, and if it were to be challenged, his DOJ would have to defend it in the courts. You can probably figure out how that should go, and also how it would go.
Yes, but in Taiwan, which is a democracy and really managed it well despite having many direct flights to Wuhan, it was done without a heavy hand. People told to stay home were provided with everything they needed and they followed the directions out of a sense of social solidarity.
As I said, we do not have a society with the qualities found in other nations more accustomed to weathering great bouts of adversity, together, as a team.
Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, MO, has been ahead of the curve:
March 12: declared a state of emergency
March 16: closed the schools, bars, and restaurants, and banned gatherings,
March 21: issued a stay-at-home order
Not sure how this small time mayor of a podunk midwest town was able to discern the danger inherent in C19 nearly a month ago, while our incredibly smart and sophisticated president is still confused.
How humbling it must be for Dr Fauci to be an expert in your field and know, without ever studying viruses,Donnie knows more then you.
Donnie is also a ventilator virtuoso so there should be a hotline to Donnie when there is 1 ventilator and 2 people need one. Donnie will tell the Doctor which one gets to live.
Nothing greater then having “The Greatest American Zero” in charge.
Well, they’ve already passed on the removal option. They could, at the very least, get their heads out of his orange ass and act in their own self interest instead of his. Instead, every one of these red state yahoos will go down with him once the shit hits their respective fans.
A bit of critical analysis would at least address the point that a president has no such authority. Of course, Trump can say that the guidelines on staying at home should be implemented, but he can’t mandate it. Or can he? Extending the thinking, could he declare martial law? Could governors?
Just like the Great Depression will forever be associated with the term “Hoovervilles”, our President deserves a similar eponymous tribute… Those refrigerated trailers that you see parked out by every major hospital where the bodies are getting stacked should forever be known as: “Trump Trailers”
If you can, go over an recommend it, I really want Trump Trailer to stick…
“If you decided to keep your business open, then I will be there,” he told attendees. “And I will bring as many people as I can, and we will form a legal defense for you, we will form an active political defense for you, and we will also, if necessary, provide a physical defense for you so that you can continue in your rights. And that’s what I believe needs to happen then you will die.”
Trump’s history on this will be written in his own quotes and tweets. He can’t rewrite it. The revisionists might try and some are obviously currently trying to give future historians ammunition to provide Trump some sort of slack. It’s up to our online education system to help circumvent such revisionists attempts, develop critical thinking skills, etc. In between watching Netflix and social media, of course.
