But it isn’t Congress making this law.
Anyway, This whole thing is a show. Trump — or at least his advisors who are remotely competent — know he has no power to override local health codes. Just because there is freedom of religion doesn’t mean churches can ignore building and fire codes and police and fire departments have no power to enforce local restrictions. This is just a show. Trump is taking this playbook from Russia, where Putin is hiding out far from Moscow, has put localities in an impossible situation, then when people die and doctors fall from windows, he rails against the local governments who are “failing the people.”
It is just another sickening example of deception and destructive populism, further eroding rule of law, making life more difficult for local governments, fomenting anger and division in this country, and in general making the pandemic worse. It reminds me of his neo-nazi and xenophobic populism during the 2016 election — very harmful to the country, but in his view helpful to his election chances. It’s the same disregard for the good of the country, the same ruthless selfishness, the same dishonesty, the same pathology, but now with pandemic consequences.
Anyway, This whole thing is a show. Trump — or at least his advisors who are remotely competent — know he has no power to override local health codes. Just because there is freedom of religion doesn’t mean churches can ignore building and fire codes and police and fire departments have no power to enforce local restrictions. This is just a show. Trump is taking this playbook from Russia, where Putin is hiding out far from Moscow, has put localities in an impossible situation, then when people die and doctors fall from windows, he rails against the local governments who are “failing the people.”
It is just another sickening example of deception and destructive populism, further eroding rule of law, making life more difficult for local governments, fomenting anger and division in this country, and in general making the pandemic worse. It reminds me of his neo-nazi and xenophobic populism during the 2016 election — very harmful to the country, but in his view helpful to his election chances. It’s the same disregard for the good of the country, the same ruthless selfishness, the same dishonesty, the same pathology, but now with pandemic consequences.