Invoking the movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that governors' objections to his claim of absolute authority over when to lift guidelines aimed at fighting the coronavirus were tantamount to insurrection, AP reports.

Democratic and Republican governors sounded alarm about a federal power grab a day after Trump asserted he had the ultimate say on when and how to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines.

Trump, meanwhile, said he was relishing the fight with state officials, particularly those in hard-hit states run by Democrats who have voiced fears that Trump's ambitious timetable could lead to a resurgence of the virus.