#DictatorTrump trends after POTUS claims he has 'total authority' over governors to reopen economy, slammed

Needless to say, Trump's comments outraged viewers who took to Twitter to share their reactions

PUBLISHED APR 14, 2020

During his daily coronavirus press briefing on Monday, April 13, President Donald Trump claimed that he could supersede decisions made by state governors to ease social distancing orders during the pandemic because he had "total authority."

"When somebody's the president of the United States, the authority is total," he said, the Guardian reported, shocking many of the reporters who were present at the conference. When one of them questioned his assertion, asking him, "You said that when someone is the president of the United States their authority is total. That is not true. Who told you that?" Trump replied, "We are going to write up papers on this."

He added that despite having the power to "call the shots" when it comes to each state's lock-down regulations, he was "getting on very well with the governors" and was "certain there won’t be a problem."

Needless to say, Trump's comments outraged viewers who took to Twitter to brand him a "dictator."

"That statement is proof he has never read the Constitution. Just like I assumed. #DictatorTrump" one user wrote, alluding to Tenth Amendment in the United States constitution, which clearly states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

A second user quipped, "I’m old enough to remember the guy who just said 'When somebody is president of the United States your authority is total' said 'I don’t take any responsibility at all.' Because it was exactly a month & a day ago. #DictatorTrump"

US President Donald Trump speaks as National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, Vice President Mike Pence, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield listen during a news conference at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House February 29, 2020, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

A third said, "If any other President claimed to have 'total authority,' they would have been impeached on the spot. This is the very definition of 'abuse of power,' that the dreamers of the Constitution feared the most. With Trump, unfortunately, this is just another day. #DictatorTrump"

Another user retweeted another moment from the presser where a CBS reporter refused to let Trump off the hook despite being branded "fake news" and slandered by the president at the briefing. "This is how all press should deal with #DictatorTrump Keep pressing him, don’t let up, don’t be distracted by meandering attacks," the user wrote.

The description of the video read: "Hats off to @PaulaReidCBS, who did not ease up even a little bit on Trump and demanded he list anything his administration has done to stop the spread of the coronavirus for the entire month of February...he couldn't. #DictatorTrump"

While it's difficult for most viewers to tear their eyes off Trump's face during the briefing, one social media user was observant enough to point out that CNN's unorthodox chyrons (banners that explain the context of the broadcasts) at the bottom half of the screen were the channel's way of subtlely getting back at the president.

"Love @CNN's low-key on-screen shade towards #DictatorTrump and his complete and utter failure to lead," the user tweeted attaching an edited photo of four of the chyrons stacked on top of each other.

One read, "Angry Trump turns briefing into propaganda session," while another said, "Trump uses task force briefing to rewrite history on coronavirus response."