Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s recent announcement that his state would start reopening businesses like bowling alleys, hair salons, movie theaters, and restaurants Friday has been met with widespread criticism, as many fear the governor’s order will pave the way for a new wave of infections. “The worry is that while trying to push a false opening of the economy, we risk putting more lives in danger,” Kemp’s 2018 gubernatorial opponent Stacey Abrams said. “There’s nothing about this that makes sense.” Kemp, however, has refused to back down from his plan—even after losing the support of one of his staunchest allies: President Donald Trump.
Days after Trump called Kemp a “very capable man” who “knows what he’s doing,” the president backtracked on his praise Wednesday, saying during his daily press briefing that he “disagree[s] strongly” with the order to start reopening businesses. Trump said he told Kemp that he disavowed his decision to open facilities “that are in violation” of the White House’s reopening guidelines, which only suggest large venues, sit-down dining, and gyms reopen as part of states’ first reopening phase. “But at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right … but I do disagree with him on what he’s doing,” Trump said. Kemp’s decision to reopen businesses like barber shops and tattoo parlors, which require close contact, is “just too soon,” the president added, saying he disagrees with Kemp “only in timing.” “You know what, maybe you wait a little bit longer until you get into a phase two,” Trump said. “So do I agree with him? No. But I respect him, and I will let him make his decision. Would I do that? No.” The president emphasized that he “told [Kemp] that I totally disagree,” though CNN disputes this claim, citing sources who said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence instead “expressed support and praise” for the governor’s plan in a phone call with Kemp Tuesday night.
Trump’s public about-face on the Georgia reopening plan comes as Kemp has come under fire even from others on the right, with fellow Southerner and Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham tweeting Wednesday that he agreed with Trump’s “concern about Georgia going ‘too far too fast’ with business re-openings.” “I have great respect for Governor Kemp and believe that future re-openings can occur rather quickly but we must get Phase I right,” Graham said. Kemp announced his reopening plan as Georgia’s coronavirus case count and death toll continue to climb, and the state has not had the 14-day decline in coronavirus cases that the White House guidelines say is advised before a state begins to reopen. As a result, Kemp’s order has spurred a massive backlash in his state, with many mayors encouraging their constituents to continue staying at home and businesses resolving to remain closed. “It’s putting economics before lives,” Diane Fall, the owner of Maxim Barbers in suburban Atlanta, told the Wall Street Journal. “[Kemp’s] putting it out there like he’s doing us a favor, but I’d rather be alive than run my business right now.”
Kemp, however, has vowed to push forward with his reopening plan, despite the president’s disapproval. In a statement on Twitter released after Trump’s press briefing, the governor praised the president’s “bold leadership and insight,” but defended his executive order to open businesses. “Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials,” Kemp, who didn’t know the coronavirus was spread by asymptomatic carriers until the beginning of April, said in justification of his decision. “We will continue with this approach to protect the lives—and livelihoods—of all Georgians. Just like the thousands of businesses currently operating throughout Georgia, I am confident that business owners who decide to reopen will adhere to Minimum Basic Operations, which prioritize the health and well-being of employees and customers.” The governor did not defend why he had specifically chosen businesses like hair salons, nail salons, gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and restaurants—basically “a list of the businesses where people are in closest proximity,” as my colleague Bess Levin noted—as the first to reopen, nor why he went against Trump’s reopening guidelines.