whose COVID-19 actions infringe on civil rights
Attorney General William Barr speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**
By Jeff Mordock – The Washington Times – Monday, April 27, 2020
Attorney General William P. Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the country to consider legal action against governors if their efforts to stop the spread of the new coronavirus infringe on Americans’ civil rights.
In a two-page memo, Mr. Barr directed all U.S. attorneys to “be on the lookout” for local and state directives that could violate religious, free speech or economic rights under the Constitution.
“If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court,” Mr. Barr wrote in a memo to the 93 U.S. attorneys.
Mr. Barr also directed Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider to monitor state and local policies for potential violations.
The two officials will work with state and local governments as well as other federal agencies, according to the memo. They will be on the alert for coronavirus response policies that restrict free speech or religious liberty as well as other constitutional rights.
“Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want to unduly interfere with the important efforts of state and local officials to protect the public. But the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis,” Mr. Barr wrote.
“We must therefore be vigilant to ensure its protections are preserved, at the same time that the public is protected,” he continued.
Throughout the pandemic, Mr. Barr has been outspoken against coronavirus restrictions, which he has described as “draconian.” The Justice Department this month filed a statement of interest siding with a Mississippi church that filed a lawsuit to overturn a local directive banning drive-in religious services.
MORE IN HOME
Trump warns of culture war ‘designed to overthrow the American revolution’ at Mt. Rushmore
Protesters block road to Mt. Rushmore ahead of Trump’s fireworks display
Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive for coronavirus: reports
Hydroxychloroquine is effective, ‘helped save lives,’ new peer-reviewed study finds
‘We are ONE America’: Ted Cruz blasts NFL’s reported plans to play ‘Black national anthem’
Mr. Barr’s directive comes as governors begin reopening after the coronavirus shuttered their economies. The path has been slow, with some governors proposing reopening in stages, frustrating President Trump.
The president is eager for the nation to get back to work as unemployment claims reach record levels and businesses struggle to stay afloat with Americans stuck inside under stay-at-home orders.
Mr. Trump said this month that some governors have “gone too far” in their efforts to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. His conservative supporters have protested in a number of states demanding their governors loosen restrictions.
Mr. Barr last week said the Justice Department would support legal action against states that continue to impose strict social distancing rules, calling the orders “burdens on civil liberties.”
“The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest. I’m not saying it wasn’t justified. I’m not saying in some places it might still be justified. But it’s very onerous, as is shutting down your livelihood,” he said in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.
Comments
TODAY IN HOME
SUBSCRIBE SIGN IN
By Gabriella Muñoz- The Washington Times
Trump warns of culture war ‘designed to overthrow the American revolution’ at Mt. Rushmore
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
Protesters block road to Mt. Rushmore ahead of Trump’s fireworks display
Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive for coronavirus: reports
Hydroxychloroquine is effective, ‘helped save lives,’ new peer-reviewed study finds
‘We are ONE America’: Ted Cruz blasts NFL’s reported plans to play ‘Black national anthem’
Supreme Court blocks order relaxing Alabama absentee voting requirements
FDA approves diagnostic test to distinguish between flu and COVID-19
Redskins to conduct ‘thorough review’ of name
By Matthew Paras – The Washington Times
Grassley says DoD office that paid FBI spy Halper ‘has lost its way’
By Rowan Scarborough – The Washington Times
Michael Avenatti’s shining reputation tarnishes fast at alma mater
By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times
CAMPAIGN 2020
By Jennifer Harper – The Washington Times
Bring Bannon back: Analysts advise Trump to recall Steve Bannon to campaign duty
Joe Biden gathers 600 lawyers to prepare for possible ‘chicanery’ ahead of November election
By Lauren Meier – The Washington Times
‘Soured’: Peter Thiel abandons Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign: Report
By Victor Morton – The Washington Times
Biden, DNC outraise Trump and RNC in June
By Seth McLaughlin – The Washington Times
CULTURE
By Valerie Richardson – The Washington Times
‘We are ONE America’: Ted Cruz blasts NFL’s reported plans to play ‘Black national anthem’
Michael Avenatti’s shining reputation tarnishes fast at alma mater
By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times
Virginia college may nix wasp mascot, fearing tie to ‘White Anglo-Saxon Protestants’
By Jennifer Harper – The Washington Times
Ex-GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain hospitalized with COVID-19
By Jessica Chasmar – The Washington Times
OPINION
Trump must keep the heat on China and ignore its ‘red lines’
Left-wing activist wants to replace ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ with Lennon’s ‘Imagine’
Vulture Joe Biden no Atticus Finch
The importance of gun ownership in a world without police
Celebrating an exceptional country on Independence Day
TRUMP CENTRAL
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
Trump warns of culture war ‘designed to overthrow the American revolution’ at Mt. Rushmore
Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive for coronavirus: reports
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
Protesters block road to Mt. Rushmore ahead of Trump’s fireworks display
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
‘Man up, Mr. President’: Rep. Raul Ruiz, a physician, urges Trump to wear a mask
By Lauren Meier – The Washington Times
POLITICS
By Stephen Groves and Darlene Superville – Associated Press
Trump plans fiery speech for Mount Rushmore fireworks
Schumer complains Senate GOP ‘waiting until the end’ with work on July coronavirus bill
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
GOP lawmaker accuses NYT of endangering U.S. troops with bounty reports
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
Nancy Pelosi: Statue debate is about treason, not George Washington or Thomas Jefferson
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times
DIVE DEEPER
By Mike Glenn – The Washington Times
National Guard chief sees a season of challenges from coronavirus pandemic
Michael Avenatti’s shining reputation tarnishes fast at alma mater
By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times
Mayflower Hotel speech drove liberal media overkill, empty Russia scandal
By Rowan Scarborough – The Washington Times
CDC chief says ‘personal responsibility’ vital to slowing COVID-19; Fauci warns 100K cases possible
By Tom Howell Jr. – The Washington Times
NATIONAL
By Shen Wu Tan – The Washington Times
FDA approves diagnostic test to distinguish between flu and COVID-19
Grassley says DoD office that paid FBI spy Halper ‘has lost its way’
By Rowan Scarborough – The Washington Times
Supreme Court blocks order relaxing Alabama absentee voting requirements
By Alex Swoyer – The Washington Times
Liberal group plans protests against July 4th in 13 cities, tells members to ‘take to the streets’
By Alex Swoyer – The Washington Times
SPORTS
By Matthew Paras – The Washington Times
Redskins to conduct ‘thorough review’ of name
Third Nationals player opts out of season; first-round pick Cavalli to join player pool
By Adam Zielonka – The Washington Times
Howard lands prized basketball recruit Makur Maker
By Kevin Leitzell – The Washington Times
Navy’s game against Lafayette joins lists of college football cancellations
By Associated Press
SPECIAL REPORTS
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic updates
Infrastructure 2019: Building up America — Coast to Coast
Energy 2019
Iran: The Power of the Alternative
COLUMNS
Inside The Beltway
‘Fanatic left-wing activists’ have taken over Biden’s campaign
U.S. warns on Chinese slave labor
Inside The Ring
Vulture Joe Biden no Atticus Finch
Nuclear Option
‘Soured’: Peter Thiel abandons Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign: Report
Inside Politics
SPONSORED
Heart Surgeon: Throw Out Your Olive Oil Now (Here’s Why)
How To Entirely Empty Your Bowels Every Morning – Top Surgeon Explains How
Next Section
Politics
Classic version
Trump warns of culture war ‘designed to overthrow the American revolution’ at Mt. Rushmore
President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Monument Friday, July 3, 2020, in Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
By Gabriella Muñoz – The Washington Times – Friday, July 3, 2020
President Trump lambasted the far-left those vandalizing American monuments at his Mt. Rushmore fireworks event Friday evening, claiming a culture war is targeting the legacy of America.
“I am here as your president to proclaim before the country and before the world, this monument will never be desecrated. These heroes will never be defaced. Their legacy will never ever be destroyed,” Mr. Trump said. “Their achievements will never be forgotten and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom.”
The president claimed that there is a liberal systematic movement “designed to overthrow the American revolution” by rewriting American history in schools and squashing debate through policing speech.
“Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history..erase our values and indoctrinate our children,” he said. “Every flaw is magnified. The history is purged, and the record is disfigured beyond all recognition.”
The president’s events at Mt. Rushmore comes amidst a renewed national debate about racism and the country’s early ties to slavery.
As protests have carried on across the country for nearly a month, some demonstrators have turned to vandalizing and tearing down statues of historical American icons whose great accomplishments are under scrutiny for their connections to slavery or racial inequality.
Mr. Trump is attempting to crack down on those destroying statues, and signed an executive order last month protecting U.S. monuments and calling for prison terms of up to 10 years for damage to federal property.
Mt. Rushmore, showcasing Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, has come under fire as a national monument because of the former two presidents’ connection to slavery.
MORE IN HOME
Protesters block road to Mt. Rushmore ahead of Trump’s fireworks display
Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive for coronavirus: reports
Hydroxychloroquine is effective, ‘helped save lives,’ new peer-reviewed study finds
‘We are ONE America’: Ted Cruz blasts NFL’s reported plans to play ‘Black national anthem’
Supreme Court blocks order relaxing Alabama absentee voting requirements
The president rejected the “cancel culture” criticizing the presidents on the memorial and highlighted the achievements of those “American giants.”
Some Native American groups have also protested the monument, arguing the mountains were taken from the Lakota people in violation of previous treaties.
A group of protesters, reportedly mostly Native American, blocked the road to Mt. Rushmore several hours before the president was set to speak. Several were arrested after disobeying dispersal orders from authorities.
The firework event itself has faced backlash for bringing a massive crowd — which issued 7,500 tickets for the fireworks display — in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic as the country struggles to keep cases from spiking during the reopening phase.
As of Friday, there were more than 2,780,000 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and 129,777 deaths, according to data gathered from John Hopkins University.
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem said that social distancing and masks won’t be required during the event, but organizers will provide masks for anyone who wants them and screen attendees for COVID-19 symptoms. Not many attending chose to wear masks, according to those at the event.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams defended the administration’s stance on not requiring masks at either of President Trump’s Fourth of July firework shows this weekend, while still urging the public to do so.
“If you make something mandatory, particularly for the younger age groups we’re talking about, many of them will rebel and do the exact opposite,” he said Friday on NBC News. “If people understand why they’re doing it they’re more likely to comply. If it’s mandatory they’ll only do it if someone is watching.”
The fiery speech marked a return of fireworks to the national landmark, which were canceled about a decade ago due to concerns about its large population of Ponderosa pine trees and an infestation of pine beetles, which make the forest more susceptible to wildfires.
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.
Comments
Classic version
Classic version
NEXT ARTICLE
Solar 