FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with senior military leadership and the National Security Team in the Cabinet room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 9, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Monday of moving to reopen states from coronavirus lockdown measures too slowly for political advantage, without providing evidence to support his claim, as the virus has killed more than 80,000 people in the United States.
The Republican president, who is running for re-election in November, is working to reopen the crippled U.S. economy quickly against recommendations from health experts to move more cautiously to avoid a resurgence of the virus.
Trump has encouraged states to ease restrictions designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, he targeted the election battleground state of Pennsylvania.
“The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!” Trump said in a Twitter post.
Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Grant McCool