No, he can’t. Yes, I know—he’s been talking about it nonstop. But he can’t, because the economy was never closed. The economy has been “open” during the pandemic. The president is claiming to have vast powers that he does not possess, and by repeating “reopen” over and over without thinking about it, we are giving that power to him.

Indeed, the Trump administration can and will (at some point) ease official Center for Disease Control guidelines for implementing “social distancing” for the purpose of slowing the spread of the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

But easing those guidelines is not the same as reopening the economy. First, because it was never closed. Second, because no president can reopen an economy even if it were closed. Third, because a president can’t force a governor into “reopening” anything.

What the president can do is get our attention by talking about something that has no bearing in reality, but which heightens tensions already heightened by the pandemic. What the president can do is getting all of us arguing about something that can’t really happen, with the result being Donald Trump has once against hijacked our minds.

So please, for the love of God, please stop using “reopening.”

—John Stoehr

I’m lifting the paywall for the duration of the pandemic.

I think that’s the right thing to do.

Another right thing to do? Subscribing! Or tipping! Thanks! —JS