Trump suggests Democratic governors committing 'mutiny' after he helped them beat back coronavirus

President Trump on Tuesday extended what has become an abrupt unraveling of his solid relationship with most Democratic governors – suggesting at least one, New York's Andrew Cuomo, is being ungrateful by planning to independently reopen his state after the administration greatly helped him battle the coronavirus.

"Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc," Trump tweeted. "I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won’t happen!"

He later posted a tweet that referred to the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty."

The discord started Monday, as signs that the number of virus infections and related deaths are slowing and governors on the East and West coasts talked about forming regional, multi-state coalitions to ease health restrictions and restart their largely shuttered economies. 

Just the News reported that six East Coast governors were forming a committee to re-open a large portion of the region, when the pandemic has slowed enough that public health experts advise them it is safe to do so.

Later in the day, at Trump's daily White House coronavirus task force press briefing, the president declared that he has the ultimate authority over when the United States will re-open its economy for business.

Cuomo on Tuesday morning, prior to Trump's tweets, said to the hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” that the president could theoretically create a constitutional crisis if he ordered New York “open” before it was safe to do so.

Until now, Trump has been comfortable keeping power largely in the hands of governors to decide how their states should respond to the pandemic. Individual states have had the authority to decide for themselves types of precautions will best keep their residents safe.

Though a possible schism has widely reported, observes suggested the leaders have thus far worked well together and are  eager to reinvigorate the American economy, despite political party differences.