While individual states’ decisions to move more quickly than recommended under the White House guidelines are regularly discussed during coronavirus task force meetings, those decisions are not seen as defiant toward the Trump administration, the official said.
Trump has expressed support for protesters pushing their states to end the orders and tweeted about a need to “LIBERATE” several states — including places that White House guidelines indicate should remain in a state of lockdown.
As Trump leads the nation’s push for a quick economic reopening, some administration officials have continued to call on states to follow the White House’s detailed guidelines.
Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has repeatedly warned governors against moving too quickly to lift restrictions, saying he was concerned that states that flout the White House guidelines could spark a resurgence of the virus.
Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, has also called on states and localities to follow the administration’s guidelines but has stopped short of contradicting Trump’s push for governors to move as quickly as possible to return to normal.
