As the Memorial Day weekend began, President Donald Trump on Friday declared churches and other places of worship “essential services” and demanded that governors across the country re-open them “right now,” threatening to “override” contrary orders and reasserting his claim of “absolute authority.”
Coming on the heels of Trump’s threats to cut off federal funding for Democrat-led states that allow mail-in voting and his calls to right-wing extremists to “liberate” states with Democratic governors, the move is widely seen as another attempt to divide the nation and inflame his base.
Asked if the policy could also put millions of worshipers at risk for infection by the Covid-19 virus, essentially turning them into sacrificial lambs, Trump said, “No, they’re not sacrificial lambs. Sacrificial lambs are irrelevant.
“This is all about our Memorial Day weekend–it has nothing to do with sacrifice.”
Image courtesy Walters Art Museum