US President Donald Trump has announced that he has ordered governors to open up places of worship opining that is wrong for some state governors to designate ‘liquor stores and abortion clinics’ as ‘essential services’ but keep places of worship like churches, mosques and synagogues closed.
Amid the Coronavirus pandemic hat has killed over 95,000 people in the US, Trump on Friday said he is designating all places of worship – including churches, synagogues and mosques – “essential,” saying he wants them to “open right now.”
Reacting to the move by state governors of keeping “liquor stores and abortion centres” open during during the lockdown while keeping places of worship shuttered, Trump said in the White House briefing room.
It’s not right,” Trump said. “I’m calling houses of worship essential.”
“If there’s any question, they’re going to have to call me, but they’re not going to be successful in that call,” Trump said of state leaders.
“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 don’t do it, I will override the governors.”
“It’s not right,” ”This move is aimed at correcting this injustice.”
“If there’s any question, they’re going to have to call me, But they are not going to be successful in that call.”
“In America, we need more prayer,” “Not less.” Mr Trump said before leaving the briefing room.
Trump appeared in the briefing room to read a short statement announcing he has approved guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help state and local leaders safely allow worship facilities to open back up.
Earlier on Friday Trump spoke more on the subject.
“We want our churches and our places of faith and worship, we want them to open,” he said. “But they’re going to be opening up very soon. We want our churches open, we want our places of faith, synagogues, we want them open, and that’s going to start happening.”
“I consider them essential, and that’s one of the things we’re saying. We’re going to make that essential,” Mr Trump said. “You know, they have places [deemed] essential that aren’t essential. And they open, and yet the churches aren’t allowed to open, and the synagogues. And again, places of faith, mosques, places of faith.”
A large chunk of Mr Trump’s political base is very religious. In the 2016 election, Trump notably took 75 per cent of the white evangelical vote and has invited pastors and preachers during his tenure to lead prayer sessions at the White House.
