Trump attacks Maryland Gov. Hogan over coronavirus testing
At Monday’s coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump claimed Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan didn’t know where all the coronavirus testing facilities were in his state.
Video Transcript
DONALD TRUMP: Earlier today, Vice President Pence spoke with governors from all 50 states about our unified effort to defeat the virus. He had a great call. It was a great call. Very positive in, I'd say, every way. Prior to the call, we provided each governor with a list of the names, addresses and phone numbers of the labs where they can find additional testing capacity within their states. Many, many labs. We're providing you with the list. We'll show it to you now if you need it. We'll give you the details.
But hundreds and hundreds of labs are ready, willing, and able. And some of the governors, like, as an example, the governor from Maryland, didn't really understand the list. He didn't understand too much about what was going on. So now I think he'll be able to do that. It's pretty simple. But they have tremendous capacity. And we hope to be able to help him out. We'll work with him, and work with all of the governors.
And take a look at that map. The governor of Maryland could have called Mike Pence, could have saved a lot of money. Look at all of-- look at these different places. That's-- and that's Maryland right there. So could have saved a lot of money, but that's OK.
- [INAUDIBLE] go to South Korea for those--
DONALD TRUMP: No, I don't think--
- --testing kits?
DONALD TRUMP: --he needed to go to South Korea.
- [INAUDIBLE]
DONALD TRUMP: I think he needed to get a little knowledge, would have been helpful.
- [INAUDIBLE]
DONALD TRUMP: Look at these maps. I mean, you have the maps with so many different locations. In the case of, as an example, Governor Hogan, he didn't really know. He really-- it was very obvious to any of those listening on the call today-- even though you weren't supposed to be on it, I'm sure that some of you were, or representatives were-- he really didn't know about the federal laboratories. Would you say that's correct, Mike? He didn't know. He didn't know. And Mike doesn't like to get into this stuff. He's less controversial than I am. But he didn't know about it. And if he did know about it, he would have been happy.
