No, President Trump cannot Order the Economy to Reopen
President Trump, and his administration, were not able to close the United States’ (US) economy and they will not be able to order it reopened. The President’s administration can offer guidelines and recommendations for the States, but ultimately it is up to the States to determine when they want to reopen.
By making public proclamations that it is safe to re-engage the economy, the President can make it more difficult for State governments to keep their citizens on lock down, but that pressure is purely political. Some states may not be in a position to open up right away. States like New York and New Jersey, where the number of cases is still high, could need more time to get the spread under control. Other states that are faring better could likely open much more rapidly.
Our government model is a Federalist Republic. We are designed in that way to allow for much more autonomy throughout the states. The federal government cannot, in most cases, implement a wide sweeping policy that adequately addresses the differing needs between states like New York and Wyoming. In the case of a viral outbreak, like the one we are seeing now, the federal government can offer guidelines and make recommendations to the states, but ultimately, it falls to the states as to whether they shut down or reopen.
I have been candid in my assessment of the governments’ handling of this situation (see What is Worse than COVID-19? A Government in Complete Control Over Your Daily Life, dated April 06, 2020; and Coronavirus (COVID-19), dated March 12, 2020). Quarantining an entire population, closing the economy, enforcing stay at home orders, and levying punitive legal damages against those who refuse to stay home is, in my opinion, a ridiculous approach given the severity and target population of the virus currently active within the US.
Generally speaking, quarantines are enacted upon the sick or those traveling from abroad. In this case, quarantines could have been expanded to cover the target population of the virus; people over 65 years old and/or people with other medical issues that increase the lethality of the virus. However, governments at all levels panicked and made reactionary decisions that have tanked the economy, exploded unemployment, and necessitated a $2.2 trillion-dollar unfunded spending package in order to stabilize the situation.
