Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789 

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

WHEREAS, with the onset of the Wuhan Virus pandemic the government on multiple levels has responded with measures which have eroded and curtailed our liberties of religion and assembly;

WHEREAS, in past times we as Americans have faced public health crises without surrendering our basic freedoms;

WHEREAS, our founding fathers warned us about tyranny which started with the good intentions of those who later became tyrants;

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Constitution Party opposes any governmental overreach to seize powers not granted in the Constitution, even with the best of intentions.

-- from the Constitution Party State Convention, April 11, 2020

Today, President Trump posted on social media: “…some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors’ decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect. It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons…” 

To clarify, nowhere in the Constitution is the President given the authority to regulate commerce, let alone intrastate commerce. An American President is not an autocrat. To put a finer point on it, the media he is criticizing are also incorrect because Governors are not the autocrats of their states either.