First Amendment HERO: Trump tells governors “reopen them immediately,” ”houses of worship are ‘essential’

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If the governors fail to step up, he would “override them.” The Democrats may not know it – but that there is Trump’s landslide.

President Trump announced Friday that all houses of worship would be considered “essential services” and urged governors to “do the right thing” and reopen them immediately — adding that he would “override” them if they didn’t.

“Today, I am identifying houses of worship, churches, synagogues, and mosques, as essential places that provide essential services,” Trump declared in a sudden White House briefing.

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“At my direction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing guidance for communities of faith,” he said.

“Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics [are] essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship, it’s not right. So I am correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential. I call upon governors to allow churches and places of worship to open right now,” the president said, adding that he’d overrule governors who don’t comply.

“If there is any question, they will have to call me, but they are not going to be successful in that call,”’ he asserted.

“The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important, essential places of faith to open right now, for this weekend. If they do not do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less,” Trump concluded before leaving the briefing room without taking questions.

Dr. Deborah Birx of the Coronavirus Task Force said moments later that while the president wants houses of worship opened this weekend, some may want to wait to protect their congregations.

“Certainly, people that have significant comorbidities, we want them protected. I know those houses of worship want to protect them, so really ensuring that maybe they can’t go this week if there’s a high number of COVID cases, maybe they wait another week,” Birx said, adding that faith leaders should contact their local health departments.

“I really firmly believe a knowledgeable community can really make judgments for themselves. I think each one of the leaders in the faith community should be in touch with their local health departments so that they can communicate to their congregants.”

Trump Finds His Pay Grade

Now we know why it’s the President who gets paid the big bucks — it’s the First Amendment. That epiphany struck in the wake of President Trump’s declaration today that houses of worship will be considered among those institutions that are “essential services.” He called on governors to “do the right thing” and “reopen them immediately.” Plus, too, he said if the governors fail to step up, he would “override them.”

This is being met with indignation in the secular press. Feature, say, the Daily Beast, which describes the President as trying “to stoke an ugly battle with governors over religion” by “demanding that every house of worship in the country reopen ‘right now’ regardless of state rules.” We’re notoriously slow, we admit, but we don’t see where the President ordered any — even one — church, synagogue, or mosque to do anything.

The President, it seems, gets the spirit of the First Amendment. It doesn’t require houses of worship to do anything. It doesn’t even grant religious institutions, or religious persons, rights. They are endowed with their rights by God. What the Constitution’s First Amendment does is prohibit Congress from interfering with God-given rights — a prohibition that the courts have incorporated as binding on the states as well.

So what Mr. Trump is doing is exactly what the Constitution requires him to do — forbear from abridging the free exercise of religion. What a contrast the president is to, say, Governor Murphy of New Jersey. He sent officers to a synagogue and owing to alleged failures to observe social distancing charged 15 men who were there for a funeral. It was a shocking development, and led to Tucker Carlson asking the governor about it on television.

“By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order?” is how Mr. Carlson put it, referring to the governor’s order to regulate religious services. “How do you have the power to do that?” That’s when Mr. Murphy answered: “That’s above my pay grade. I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when we did this.” Science,” he explained, says “people have to stay away from each other.”

How many religious institutions will open up to in-person worship in their sanctuaries, and on what specs, we don’t know. Our guess is that each congregation will reason out the most responsible approach for its circumstances. Governors and state authorities are free to make recommendations. If they try to interfere, though, it’s not true that Mr. Trump would lack for authority.

On the contrary, he is sworn to a Constitution that grants him the authority — and obligation — to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The First Amendment is but one of the most famous of these laws. So Mr. Trump could, need be, take states and governors to court and compel them to comply with the Bill of Rights. That’s why he gets paid the big bucks, and, not to put too fine a point on it, it’s cheap at the price.

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BanLiberals
BanLiberals
3 years ago

What’s “essential,” is to stop this madness and LET US DECIDE!

Where did this insane notion that “government” should decide ANYTHING for a free people?

‘Trust me — I’m from the government.’

tituspullo
tituspullo
3 years ago
Reply to  BanLiberals

if DC had been incinerated on march 8 in a mushroom cloud, think about how much better off this country would be today. vote me for president, and i’ll sell DC to disney, fire everyone, and let america do what is does best…..enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without a federal government

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

I have thought about that too. I’d only like a handful to survive.

The problem is, THEY would survive and we wouldn’t! They have all these safe places and security measures in place to protect them; not us!

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  BanLiberals

I couldn’t agree more!
Get these dam corrupt “experts” out of our lives as well as the dam government!

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
3 years ago
Reply to  BanLiberals

…Ban Leftists, not true Liberals!

There is a difference.

DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago

Remdesivir Quickens Recovery from COVID-19
We now have a definite first efficacious drug for COVID-19, which is a major step forward and will be built upon with other drugs, [and drug] combinations,” he said.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/remdesivir-quickens-recovery-from-covid-19-but-needs-supplement-researchers-find_3361845.html

DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

There are lots of other drugs that treat the Covid-19 symptoms, but they are not specific to Covid-19 [like oxygen tx]. And we have several drugs that seem to work, but have not yet proved themselves in a placebo controlled randomized trial [like hydroxy]. But this is the first specific, proven efficacious tx for Covid-19. And don’t worry about the cost of this Rx, this is used for only a few days, it’s not like those big money meds that pts use for years, like for rheumatoid arthritis. And in the USA, Covid-19 pts will get it for free [tx= treatment, pt= patient, Rx= prescription medication]If you know a Covid-19 pt, get the Epoch Times article into the hands of their docs. And print the references too.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

Haven’t you noticed the COST of these drugs?
Any of the “new” drugs are very expensive!
There is no such thing as a a “free drug.”
Our health care costs will simply go UP!

The goal is a NEW drug for MONEY!!!! There are lots of exising drugs that could be used but that is not the focus of the corrupt “experts” we are supposed to be relying on. I wouldn’t trust anything with a Fauci blessing on it.

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DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Don’t worry about the cost of this remdesivir, this is used for only a few days. And in the USA, Covid-19 pts will get it for free. Hydroxy is still in the game, since it seems to work for prevention, as well as early stage treatment. If the hydroxy works the remdesivir will not be needed.http://b1ff5939f6.nxcli.net/2020/05/hcq-effective.html/

tedlv
tedlv
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

Nothing is free. If “pts” don’t pay, txp do.

DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  tedlv

tedv: Yes, but view the whole picture. Remdesivir treatment is probably cost-effective for the USA economy. Health economists usually calculate a human life at about 1.5 million. Lose that life, and we lose a lot of value. So any illness that damages population health also damages the economy. And many sick people can’t work, so making them well gets them back into the economy. SO letting people die is expensive, and letting people stay sick is expensive for the economy.
Covid-19 can cause lasting lung another organ damage that comprises health for years. The money spent on saving that life and tha health can be a good deal for the economy. Once they are healthy, they will pay taxes, work, contribute to the economy, and share our economic burdens. There is nothing airy-fairy about this, these cost-of-illness calculations are done all the time by health economists. Good health care is a profit center for the USA.
So remdesivir treatment is probably cost-effective, because a few thousand dollars puts people back in the saddle. Help me spread the word, people are thinking too simply about this.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

That is not the magic bullet either. The newer data actually has the Trump drug doing better in the early and mid stages and remdesivir hardly makes a difference when you are on a ventilator. This is why Fauci has more or less moved on to another drug.

I can see why Fauci was attracted to it. Look at the cost compared to the Trump drug.

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New data on Gilead’s remdesivir, released by accident, show no benefit for coronavirus patients. Company still sees reason for hope
By ED SILVERMAN
APRIL 23, 2020

The antiviral medicine remdesivir from Gilead Sciences failed to speed the improvement of patients with Covid-19 or prevent them from dying, according to results from a long-awaited clinical trial conducted in China. Gilead, however, said the data suggest a “potential benefit.”

A summary of the study results was inadvertently posted to the website of the World Health Organization and seen by STAT on Thursday, but then removed.

“A draft manuscript was provided by the authors to WHO and inadvertently posted on the website and taken down as soon as the mistake was noticed. The manuscript is now undergoing peer review and we are waiting for a final version before WHO comments on it,” said WHO spokesperson Daniela Bagozzi.

Gilead spokesperson Amy Flood said the company believes “the post included inappropriate characterization of the study.” Because the study was stopped early because it had too few patients, she said, it cannot “enable statistically meaningful conclusions.” However, she said, “trends in the data suggest a potential benefit for remdesivir, particularly among patients treated early in disease.”

(The Trump drug has better success and cheaper! It is effective in the early and middle stages prior to being on a ventilator. Of course if you are older and have other health issues the outcome won’t be good under either drug combination.)

The data (for details, see screenshot below) will be closely scrutinized but are also likely imperfect. The study was terminated prematurely, which could have affected the results. The context that would be provided by a full manuscript is missing, and the data have not been reviewed as normally occurs before publication.

Related: The coronavirus pandemic could shrink some biotech startup valuations
Many studies are being run to test remdesivir, and this one will not be the final word. Results are expected soon from a Gilead-run study in severe Covid-19 patients, although that study may be difficult to interpret because the drug is not compared to patients receiving only standard treatment. Encouraging data from patients in that study at the University of Chicago were described by researchers at a virtual town hall and obtained by STAT last week. However, unlike those data, these new results are from a randomized controlled trial, the medical gold standard.

Gilead is also running a study with a control group in more moderate Covid-19 patients, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is running a study that compares remdesivir to placebo. There are even more studies of the drug ongoing.

(They are referring to the INVALID, fake “study” that was conducted with the “VA” overseen by Ophthalmologist to discredit the Trump drug.
As you know Fauci was aware of it and heads that organization. Fauci makes no money off existing drugs.)

According to the summary of the China study, remdesivir was “not associated with a difference in time to clinical improvement” compared to a standard of care control. After one month, it appeared 13.9% of the remdesivir patients had died compared to 12.8% of patients in the control arm. The difference was not statistically significant.

“In this study of hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 that was terminated prematurely, remdesivir was not associated with clinical or virological benefits,” the summary states. The study was terminated prematurely because it was difficult to enroll patients in China, where the number of Covid-19 cases was decreasing.

An outside researcher said that the results mean that any benefit from remdesivir is likely to be small.

“If there is no benefit to remdesivir in a study this size, this suggests that the overall benefit of remdesivir in this population with advanced infection is likely to be small in the larger Gilead trial,” said Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University.

He added that the results of the study should be pooled with larger studies being conducted by Gilead using a technique called meta-analysis to allow for “a balanced view of the efficacy of remdesivir from all randomized trials.”

https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/23/data-on-gileads-remdesivir-released-by-accident-show-no-benefit-for-coronavirus-patients/
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DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Remdesivir not a miracle cure, and it does not fix every patient. But it will do better once they figure out how to optimize it. This trial is the first science grade placebo-controlled multi-center double blind trial.
This is the best trial done to date, with the best controls. The other quick and dirty trials can be informative, but they have hard time refuting the science grade trials, well, because they are quick and dirty.
I’m not pushing any treatments, I’m just telling people what is new.

Chris Wolf
Chris Wolf
3 years ago

Everywhere we look we see our “leaders” in their own individual versions of insanity, Leftist impunity and, I dare say, pharmacological and/or illicit drug addiction and abuse.
Andrew Cuomo cannot stop talking about his father, his mother, his mid-afternoon family spaghetti dinners and playing grab ass for the world’s enjoyment with his thug, steroid-addled brother, Bro Cuomo, AKA Fredo.
Chris Wallace is like a wind-up chatterbox of inanity who’s sole purpose at every opportunity is to cover for the Left, for globalism, for China, for Islam, begging them with alibis — just please, don’t attack me! — always stopping far short of any conceivable explication of rational motive or purposeful leadership for any policy or commentary of Trump.
Now we have this egoist tribal chief with a microphone who expects us to refer to him as “Charlamgne Tha God” (LOL!!!) grabbing the national spotlight in a fluke of refracted virtue windfall courtesy of the senile ghost of a former political hack groping for the cover of his former loud mouth, back-slapping cronyism that has long since failed him.
Trump is the only sober one of the lot, from coast to coast, and that’s ONE of the reasons it’s such a bitter struggle for him.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  Chris Wolf

Trump is the only sober one of the lot, from coast to coast, and that’s ONE of the reasons it’s such a bitter struggle for him.

He’s doing what he can about it…It is absolutely horrifying how corrupt the swamp is and our MEDICAL PEOPLE ARE! Not all of them are but Fauci and Brix are and with everything being politicized, we are seeing the true colors of many in the medical profession who are willing to have people die because of their Trump hatred too.

“Do no harm” is a nostalgic phrase. If that had any credibility, abortion would not be illegal. Now we have clear cut infanticide! Mutilating people to change their genitals to the opposite sex wouldn’t be done etc….. that destroys a person. Of course it is ALL done under the label of “COMPASSION” and it works with people who have relative values and compartmental beliefs.

tedlv
tedlv
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

“If that had any credibility, abortion would not be illegal.”

Did you mean “would not be legal”?

tituspullo
tituspullo
3 years ago

so birx again contradicts her boss? in what other nation in history would a leader put up with this treachery? cannot understand trump on this.

DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

NO ONE knows how to stop epidemics, so Trump has had to make do with whatever experts he could find.

tituspullo
tituspullo
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

there are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of doctors and scientists in the private sector who think fauci and birx and the CDC and the WHO are and have been full of shiite for the last 3 months. a wise president would have convened a televised hearing where americans could hear both sides of this hoax and make up their minds as to which side IS full of shiite. my guess is that after several hours, most americans would know we’ve been phuqued by the deep state and the democrats

DemocracyRules
DemocracyRules
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

“my guess is that after several hours, most americans would know we’ve been phuqued by the deep state and the democrats”

Well that’s what Trump often does, he hangs out the rotten people to dry for all to see. Then we all cry for their heads, he dumps them, and no one complains. E.g., Comey, Sessions, Rosenstein etc., etc.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

Trump is giving them the middle finger by taking hydroxychloroquine and pushing the opening up of our country. If they had their way, we’d be closed forever.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

LOL!

A.G. Barr won’t even investigate Obama and Biden and the GOP doesn’t want it either. Trump is taking the wiser course, Focusing on opening up and moving on.

Trump knows they are full of shiiiiit. You have to pick and choose your battles wisely or you will lose the war. It’s an election year and the public likes Fauci and Brix and so does the GOPe.

tituspullo
tituspullo
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

what “epidemic”? i don’t know or know of a soul who has contracted this thing. i know lots of people every year who get the flue

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

It’s real but any kind of death is being added to the virus heap.
So who knows how bad it really is? We personally know of someone that tested positive but was young enough to get through it without it being life threatening. Allot of other states, even with pumped up numbers, have not been really affected.

They are now using local data but the problem is still there. Is the primary cause the virus? Who knows! Prior to that they were using the Bill Gates IHME model that was wildly exaggerating the projection of it along with another UK model that has been known to be inaccurate. Even with local data, deaths not caused by COVID-19 are thrown in due to CDC guidelines in how to count these deaths, when COVID-19 is not the primary cause of death all for MORE MONEY! Insurance pays out more for a COVID-19 death.

5/23/20
NJ Total infected: 153,104
NJ Total deaths: 11,081

tedlv
tedlv
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

There are many who are infected but not tested. A more accurate and descriptive statistic would compare population to deaths.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

Fauci has been around forever and was the one used to naivigate this stuff. Who knew how evil he is. He does his best to undermine Trump at every turn.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  DemocracyRules

Fauci has been around forever and was the one used to naivigate this stuff. Who knew how evil he is. He does his best to undermine Trump a every turn.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

He’s stuck with them for the minute and will ride this out. They are the shield for him shutting down our country. He was presented with an apocalyptic scenario of death by these two vile clowns and he erred on the side of caution, which any decent person would do. No one knew what we were dealing with and what was heard going on in China, we didn’t want here. It turned out Fauci and Brix were lying.

Trump will disagree with them more often because he knows better now. That tweet about firing Fauci was for a purpose. His focus is opening up and ending this nightmare.

Andrew
Andrew
3 years ago

Catholic churches in my state refusing to open.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

Is that really surprising? The Catholic Church has really gone to the left.

dr Paula lo
dr Paula lo
3 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

the schools allow pupils to understand Muslim religion in the Catholic Church?!
why do these heathens get top priority?
why not study Buddhism?
now that’s a peaceful practice. keep praying everyone to Jesus (and No He is not a profit prophet for izlum). get educated.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago

Looks like lardo, A.G. Barr is taking some action on this…

DOJ Joins Lawsuit Challenging Illinois Governor Pritzker COVID-19 Dictates…
Posted on May 23, 2020 by sundance

“However well-intentioned they may be, the executive orders appear to reach far beyond the scope of the 30-day emergency authority granted to the Governor under Illinois law,” said Steven D. Weinhoeft, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. “Even during times of crisis, executive actions undertaken in the name of public safety must be lawful. And while the people of Illinois must be physically protected from the effects of this public health crisis, including by complying with CDC guidelines their constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties must be safeguarded as well.”

Even in the face of a pandemic, states must comply with their own laws in making these sensitive policy choices in a manner responsive to the people and, in doing so, both respect and serve the goals of our broader federal structure, including the guarantee of due process in the U.S. Constitution.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/05/23/doj-joins-lawsuit-challenging-illinois-governor-pritzker-covid-19-dictates/#more-192514
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David Grisez
David Grisez
3 years ago

President Donald Trumps decision to declare all houses of worship as essential was one of the best things I heard during this Coronavirus Pandemic. The church I go to, Grace Community Church in the San Fernando Valley will begin worship services Sunday May 24th because of President Trump’s announcement.

john aka Nathan aka ali
john aka Nathan aka ali
3 years ago
Reply to  David Grisez

the more west becomes atheist gives power to Satan muzlum religion to “turn” atheists into Satan worshipers. you have to protect Christianity. if you hear a muzzie say they are non practicing DO NOT BELUEVE THEM
a muzzie us a muzzie is a muzzie. oh boy do they practice even if they ARE gay or trans.

David Grisez
David Grisez
3 years ago

Late Saturday May 23 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals over ruled President Donald Trump on his decision to reopen houses of worship.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
3 years ago

It makes absolutely no sense to me that churches are shuttered while liquor stores and abortion clinics are operating full bore.

Freedom
Freedom
3 years ago

Pam, I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you on the headline premise. I blame Trump for this whole thing. he is the one that suggested the guidelines in the first place. all the power lusting governors, mayors, etcetera were given permission to illegally rule over their fiefdoms by fiat. Trump urged them to violate the constitutional rights of the citizens they were sworn to serve. now he’s going to bluster and “rescue” us?!! Trump just set the precedent for the collectivists to control the populace by force. Trump is a big government democrat with no set ideology. he is not a conservative or a libertarian. I voted against Clinton, not for him.

Freedom
Freedom
3 years ago
Reply to  Freedom

who downvotes? don’t be such a coward Charlie. offer a rebuttal.

ahem
ahem
3 years ago

That petty dictaor Lori Lightfoot, the Mayor of Chicago, is now threatening to tear down the church that took that took her to court for violating its First Amendment rights.

Tear down. No kidding.

Text of letter sent by

http://lc.org/PDFs/Attachments2PRsLAs/2020/052320NuisanceAbatementServices052120Final%20Elim.pdf

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