And yet, in late May, Trump echoed his previous statements when he proposed that houses of worship be given the go-ahead “to open right now, for this weekend”. In an assertion that baffled legal experts, who challenged whether the president commanded such unchecked authority, Trump claimed he would “override” governors who ignored his call.

“Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship,” Trump said at the time. “It’s not right, so I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”

Many state governments have moved to ease restrictions, though not necessarily in ...