Despite his Twitter rant this morning, Trump continues to downplay the severity of the coronavirus crisis and last night denied the accelerating ventilator shortage. Trump questioned why so many more ventilators are needed than usual, attacked governors who have pleaded for help obtaining supplies, and has delayed invoking the Defense Production Act to accelerate production.

Last night, Trump denied the accelerating ventilator shortage in New York saying he did not believe the state would need as many as they requested.

Trump: “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they are going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes and they’ll have two ventilators. And now … they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000?’”

Now, in his most recent Twitter rant, Trump blames executives at General Motors for his failure to step up sooner and help solve the ventilator shortage.

Trump: “As usual with ‘this’ General Motors, things just never seem to work out… always a mess with Mary B.”

Here’s the truth: Trump has delayed using the Defense Production Act to accelerate production and distribution of ventilators. 

Trump: “The Defense Production Act is a wonderful thing, but I just haven’t had to use it…We don’t need it.”

Bloomberg: “More than 100 former national security officials urged Trump in a letter Wednesday to use the act’s authority, saying it was necessary that government coordinate the effort and assign priorities to confront the crisis. Trade groups, governors, attorneys general and Democratic senators are lodging similar calls.”

Trump attacked governors for pleading for help and said their requests for lifesaving ventilators and masks are unnecessary and actually just complaints. 

Trump: “Some of these governors you know they take take take and then they complain…you build them a hospital and then they’re always complaining.”

Trump: “A lot of equipment is being asked for that I don’t think they will need.”

Associated Press: “Of Whitmer, he said, ‘All she does is sit there and blame the federal government.’ And he said Inslee ‘should be doing more,’ adding, ‘He’s always complaining.’”

Trump’s failure to prepare for a pandemic and his chaotic response to the coronavirus crisis has worsened the ventilator shortage.

New York Times: “The need to quickly equip hospitals across the country with tens of thousands more of the devices to treat those most seriously ill with the virus was not anticipated despite the Trump administration’s own projection in a simulation last year that millions of people could be hospitalized. And even now, the effort to produce them has been confused and disorganized.”