Can Trump be trusted not to abuse his coronavirus emergency powers?

As Donald Trump gained full control of the Republican party it became apparent that he wouldn't be a benevolent ruler. It's his belief that you (Republicans) must offer complete and unconditional fealty no matter the outrages, no matter that that loyalty won't be returned. Elected Republicans weren't the only ones caught in his (Trump's) crossfire.  Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions came under constant attack after he recused himself from further involvement in FBI's Russia influence investigation.  Donald Trump believed that the Attorney General wasn't the chief law enforcement  officer of the United States but his own personal lawyer.  James Comey the former Director of the FBI was sacked by Donald Trump because he wouldn't interfere on his behalf and shutdown the investigation.  During an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt he baldy stated; that the sacking of Comey ended the investigation even though that wasn't true. All of these incidents and others that followed lead to the belief  that he had unfettered powers granted to him under article one of the constitution. He was embolden in this belief by Fox News and fellow Republicans even though no such powers existed.   

Now with the coronavirus outbreak and pandemic he may use this as cover to seize powers not granted him by the constitution. 

Standing in the Brady briefing room at the White House last week, Donald Trump said that despite new restrictions on the number of journalists allowed in the room, there were still too many reporters around.

“You’re actually sitting too close,” the president told the journalists. “We should probably get rid of about another 75, 80% of you. I have just two or three that I like in this room.”

If it was a joke, the timing was terrible.

As the coronavirus crisis has grown, so too has the power of the president’s whim to shape American life, whether that means choosing which states get emergency medical equipment first, deciding where to deploy troops to build temporary hospitals – or controlling what the public knows about what the government is doing.