The U.S. is on the brink of becoming the coronavirus epicenter, hospitals are overwhelmed, governors are begging for critical resources, and what is Trump doing? Instead of overseeing a coordinated response, Trump continues to skirt responsibility.

States and hospitals across the country are furious with the Trump administration for its delayed, haphazard, and inadequate response to the supply shortage.

Washington Post: “Governors and mayors in growing uproar over Trump’s lagging coronavirus response”

Politico: “Desperate, angry state leaders push back on Trump admin claims of mass mask shipments”

New York Times: “As federal government mobilizes, local officials say response remains too slow.”

ProPublica: “The Department of Health and Human Services has come under fire as several states’ requests for supplies from the emergency medical stockpile go unfulfilled.”

But Trump has no clear plan, and the market for supplies has descended into chaos because he refuses to step up and use the full power of the federal government to address the shortage.

New York Times: “Last week, Mr. Trump urged states to fend for themselves, looking for whatever they could find on the open market. But that only underlined how poorly prepared federal stockpiles were for a pandemic — a situation that the last three administrations had rehearsed in an effort to improve plans. The president’s comments set off a scramble that only accelerated the criticism of how the White House has handled the allocation of scarce supplies.”

Washington Post: “The market for medical supplies has descended into chaos, according to state officials and health-care leaders. They are begging the federal government to use a wartime law to bring order and ensure the United States has the gear it needs to battle the coronavirus. So far, the Trump administration has declined.”

New York Times: “By letting companies voluntarily produce the necessary equipment, rather than under orders in the Defense Production Act, the administration is not responsible for whether the quotas are met, or if the output reaches hospitals.”

Instead, Trump is placing unwarranted blame on to the states and even attacking governors for pleading with the federal government to help.

Politico: “States still waiting on coronavirus tests as Trump tells them to do more”

CNN’s Daniel Dale: “Trump says Cuomo was ‘complaining’ about ‘the ventilators.’ He says, ‘He should’ve ordered the ventilators.’”

TRUMP: “They have to treat us well, also. They can’t say ‘oh, gee, we should get this, we should get that.’ We’re doing a great job.”

Trump’s failure to lead has set production of medical supplies behind by many months. Contrary to his false claims, supplies are not available, and the shortage has put the lives of health care workers at risk.

Bloomberg: “Trump’s 500 million respirators could take 18 months to deliver.”

Politico: “Medical staff describe shortages and rationing of masks as White House assures they’re available ’now.’”

MLive.com: “President Donald Trump’s assertion that automakers can quickly manufacture ventilators and that some are already making them is false, according to fact-checkers from the Associated Press.”

Washington Post: “Hospital workers battling coronavirus turn to bandannas, sports goggles and homemade face shields amid shortages.”

CNN: “Health care workers on frontlines feel like ‘lambs to the slaughterhouse.’”