Donald Trump puts himself at the heart of the 'lockdown rebellion' tweeting 'LIBERATE' Michigan, Virginia and Minnesota in broadside at Democratic governors day after saying they 'call the shots'

President Trump made himself the star of the 'lockdown rebellion' on Friday by tweeting 'LIBERATE Minnesota' and then adding Michigan and Virginia to the list of states that should be freed. 

The tweets came one day after the president's coronavirus taskforce rolled out guidelines that would give governors broad power to decide when states' economies would open back up amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

But governors, including Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, have attracted protests from constituents complaining that the stay at home orders to prevent the spread of the deadly virus have trampled on their liberty. 

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President Trump did an about-face on Friday and started tweeting that states should be 'liberated' from the stay at home orders put in place by governors to keep people from spreading the coronavirus 

The president began by tweeting 'LIBERATE MINNESOTA!' as protesters gathered at the home of the Democratic governor Friday morning 

Then the president said that Michigan and Virginia, two more states under Democratic control, should also be liberated, adding in Virginia that the 2nd Amendment needed to be 'saved' 

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Backlash protests against lockdown orders have been staged all over the country. In Michigan on Wednesday, protesters came out to the state capitol as part of 'Operation Gridlock' 

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Protesters in Michigan on Wednesday brandished weapons and held up Trump/Pence flags and signs demanding an end to the lockdown 

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Michiganders who protested against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were pro-Trump in nature including one that called her a 'Nazi woman' 

All three states that Trump singled out have Democratic governors - and are potentially swing states in the 2020 election.   

On Wednesday, thousands of protesters showed up to Michigan's state capitol in their vehicles to demonstrate against Whitmer's order - the strictest in the nation. 

Whitmer has banned residents from visiting their neighbors and has told large retailers to close off sections dedicated to home improvement goods.   

The protest - called 'Operation Gridlock - was devised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is linked to the family of Trump's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.     

It featured some of the elements of a Trump campaign rally including 'lock her up' chants and large Trump 2020 flags. Some protesters also brought Confederate flags, despite Michigan being part of the Union during the Civil War. 

'We are all on the same team when it comes to defeating COVID-19. Right now the governor is focused on saving lives and protecting Michigan families,' a spokesperson for Whitmer said, responding to the president's tweet.

'As the governor has said, we’re not going to reopen Michigan’s economy via tweet,' the spokesperson added. 

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On Thursday, protesters gathered outside the home of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, to protest his stay at home order 

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On Friday, crowds gathered outside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's official residence again, to protest having to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic  

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A number of protesters flew pro-Trump flags Friday outside the Minnesota governor's home as they encouraged the Democrat to 'open Minnesota now!' 

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Signs are posted at the gate outside of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's official residence on Friday in St. Paul 

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The crowd in Minnesota did not practice proper social distancing nor did protesters sport masks, which could potentially curb the spread of the virus 

Whitmer did say Friday morning, however, that she hoped she would be able to open a part of the Michigan economy by May 1 - the day that Trump has been touting, as it marks the expiration of the '30 Days to Slow the Spread' federal guidelines. 

'I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1st, but it's two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly,' she said. 

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Whitmer was asked if the president's tweet were encouraging protesters. 

'I hope that it's not encouraging more protests,' she told reporters. 

She commiserated with the underlying concerns. 'People are feeling very anxious, you know?'  

'The last thing I want to do is have a second wave here, so we've got to be really smart,' she said. 

She also responded to another planned protest, which is supposed to take place next Wednesday. 

'I totally respect people's right to dissent and voice their disagreement with decisions I've made,' she said. 'If people are going to come to town I ask them that they do so that keeps themselves safe and others as well.'  

And on Thursday and Friday, protesters showed up outside the residence of Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, saying they, too, wanted to get back to work - despite widespread COVID-19 testing not being available yet. 

Walz did ease some of his state's restriction on Friday pertaining to outdoor activities. 

Minnesota residents would now be allowed to golf, boat, fish, hunt and hike as long as proper social distancing was practiced. 

'It’s important for us to stay active and enjoy the outdoors while preventing the spread of COVID-19,' Walz said, according to KEYC News. 'This measure will allow Minnesotans to take advantage of more opportunities to get outside, while still doing their part to keep their neighbors healthy.'

Medical professionals have advised Americans to stay at home so the country can 'flatten the curve' - basically slow the spread of the disease so that medical facilities don't get overhwhelmed. 

Friday's tweets come as a surprise because on Thursday when Trump was asked what his message to the demonstrators was, he declined to jump in the fray.   

'It's been a tough process for people,' Trump said. 

'And I watched, in one particular state, where they were - they want to get back. They want to get back. There were very strict sanctions that were put on people, that was probably the most strict of all,' the president added, a likely reference to Michigan.

A reporter then asked if the president would urge those protesters to listen to their local authorities. 

'I think they're listening. I think they listen to me,' the president said. 'They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion. And my opinion is the same as just about all the governors,' the president said.     

But Democratic governors, including Virginia's Ralph Northam, have been extending business closures. 

Protesters in North Carolina call for the state to reopen

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Arlen Penfield of Goochland, Virginia holds up a sign demanding that Virginia be reopened in a protest Thursday in Richmond 

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Protesters showed up to the Virginia state capitol on Thursday to demonstrate against Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam stay at home order 

On Wednesday Northam announced that entertainment businesses in the commonwealth, including movie theaters and gyms, would remain closed through May 8. 

Previously that policy was set to expire on April 23.  

In his tweet directed at Virginia, Trump also advised residents to 'save your great 2nd Amendment.' 

'It is under siege!' Trump said. 

A week ago, Northam signed a new gun control bill into law. 

Northam was asked about the president's tweet at a Friday afternoon press conference.  

'I would just simply say that as the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia I, along with this staff, is fighting a biological war,' the Virginia Democrat said. 'I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars.' 

'I will continue to make sure that I do everything that I can to keep Virginians safe and to save lives,' Northam added. 

Conservative pundits and Republican governors have been the ones pushing for Americans to get back to work - fearing that the economic destruction caused by people staying at home is worse than the wrath of the virus, which has so far killed a confirmed 38,846 Americans. 

States with Republican governors were the last to put stay at home orders in place and there are still some hold-outs, including South Dakota where GOP Gov. Kristi Noem said Americans were giving up their 'liberties for a little bit of security.'   

Infections in South Dakota have tripled in one week. 

'I believe that South Dakotans can make the best decisions to keep themselves and their loved-ones safe,' Noem tweeted Thursday. 

Noem said that the state's biggest outbreak, in a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, would have happened even if she would have put a lockdown order in place.  

'What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it's an important part of our nation's food supply,' Noem said. 

States including Utah, North Carolina and Ohio also saw demonstrations this week, and more are planned for the coming days, including in Oregon, Idaho and Texas.