Wednesday on CNN’s “Situation Room,” network White House reporter Jim Acosta accused President Donald Trump of “really highlighting some of his authoritarian impulses.”

Acosta said Trump was doing so by claiming he can do “whatever” he wants with states regarding the pandemic coronavirus recovery.

Today at the coronavirus task force briefing, Trump said, “We have the right to do whatever we want,” on reopening or closing down states.

Acosta said, “I think what we are seeing this week with the president’s response to the pandemic, it that it is really highlighting some of his authoritarian impulses.”

He continued, “He went back to this idea that he has total authority, that he essentially retreated from yesterday. He was saying … that we have the right, meaning the White House, to do whatever we want. That is false. The White House does not have the right — he doesn’t have the right to do whatever he wants. He can’t order these states, these governors to do what he wants. Obviously, if he puts out guidelines that they don’t agree with, they’re not going to follow those guidelines. Then the president will find out how far his power can go.”

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