Trump hails Wisconsin court overturning governor’s stay-at-home order

President Trump on Thursday cheered the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Gov. Tony Evers’s (D) stay-at-home order intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

“The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!” Trump tweeted.

The president described the court’s decision as a second “win” in as many days for Republicans after the party won a special election to fill the House seat previously held by Rep. Sean Duffy (R).

The Great State of Wisconsin, home to Tom Tiffany’s big Congressional Victory on Tuesday, was just given another win. Its Democrat Governor was forced by the courts to let the State Open. The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 4-3 in favor of Republican state lawmakers, who argued that Evers had overreached with the stay-at-home order and had pressed the governor to relax restrictions.

Evers imposed the stringent measures in March as the virus spread across the U.S. It was set to expire on May 26, and the governor had already started allowing some businesses to reopen with modifications.

Evers will now have to get future statewide restrictions approved by the state legislature, which is controlled by Republicans.

Thursday’s tweet is the latest instance of Trump leading calls for states to lift stay-at-home orders and allow Americans to return to work, even as polls show the majority of the public is hesitant to do so.

He has previously backed protesters in Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota, calling to “liberate” those states. The president this week targeted Pennsylvania ahead of a Thursday visit there, tweeting that residents of the state “want their freedom.”

Public health officials have warned that lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths related to the virus.

The economic toll of the virus has also been high. Nearly 3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total number who have filed since the virus struck to 36 million.