GOP Governors Contradict Claim That President Will Decide if States Reopen

The Republican governors of New Hampshire and Maryland countered a claim made by Donald Trump in a series of Monday tweets, in which the president argued that it would be his "decision," not the governors', when states begin reopening their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu was asked about Trump's tweets during a Monday afternoon interview with CNN while discussing New Hampshire's response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The governor was asked whether it would be his call to reopen his state.

The GOP governor noted that it was his local government's decision "through executive order" to shut down nonessential businesses, transition restaurants to takeout only and ban gatherings of more than 10 people. "All these executive orders are state executive orders, and so therefore it would be up to the state and the governor to undo a lot of that," he said.

"A lot of this will definitely come down upon state decision," Sununu added.