Trump Deems Places of Worship Essential

President Donald Trump said at a press briefing Friday that places of worship are essential, following new federal guidelines that offer recommendations on how places of worship should go about reopening. The president threatened to "override" governors who don't comply with the guidance, and said America "needs more prayer, not less." Many left-rated outlets framed the announcement as a direct play to Trump's base, and focused on the fact that Trump had no apparent legal authority to override governors, especially in regards to voluntary recommendations; coverage from left- and center-rated outlets often painted the president's statements as "demands" and "warnings", while some coverage from right-rated outlets gave the impression that Trump was deferring to the CDC, and not necessarily making demands. Some evangelical voices criticized the president's purported ignorance of the state of public health; some right-leaning voices celebrated the president's supposed support of religious freedom, and questioned how that freedom may look post-Trump.