POLITICS BEHIND SLOW PACE OF REOPENING: TRUMP

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Monday of moving to reopen U.S. states from lockdown too slowly for political advantage, without providing evidence to support his claim.

The Republican president, who is running for re-election in November, is working to reopen the crippled economy quickly against recommendations from health experts to move more cautiously to avoid a resurgence of the virus that has so far killed more than 80,000 Americans.

On Monday, he targeted the election battleground state of Pennsylvania, which has a Democratic governor, Tom Wolf.

“The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!” Trump said on Twitter.

Some of the states hardest-hit by the outbreak are led by Democratic governors, including New York and Michigan — both important prizes in the Nov. 3 election.