Trump tangles with Schumer over coronavirus response
President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer clashed Thursday over the federal government’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
Schumer, who has been on a media blitz this week, appealed to Trump to establish a czar with a military background to oversee the production of medical equipment, including ventilators and personal protection equipment. The U.S. is facing a shortage of such equipment as the pandemic overwhelms hospitals and other medical providers.
“I am calling on the administration to put in charge of both production and distribution of materials a military man as czar under the [Defense Production Act],” Schumer said Thursday on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe.” "We need someone unpolitical to produce the materials more quickly ... and to distribute them to the places that are most needed — to not have my governor have to call up California and compete with other states.”
But less than an hour later, Trump shot back in a tweet, arguing that the administration already has “a military man in charge of distributing goods, a very talented Admiral,” an apparent reference to Rear Adm. John P. Polowczyk, who is heading the supply chain task force at FEMA.
“New York has gotten far more than any other state, including hospitals and hospital ship, but no matter what, always complaining,” Trump tweeted. “Unlike other states, New York unfortunately got off to a late start. You should have pushed harder. Stop complaining & find out where all of these supplies are going. Cuomo working hard!”
In a letter to Trump sent Thursday, Schumer formalized his request, writing that the "existing federal leadership void has left America with an ugly spectacle in which States and cities are literally fending for themselves."
Trump recently invoked the Defense Production Act for its first coronavirus use to get General Motors to make ventilators, but it will still take time to ramp up production. Democrats want to see broader use of the act.
Schumer has called on the president repeatedly to invoke the Defense Production Act to increase the supply for medical equipment. Trump recently named Peter Navarro, the current White House trade adviser, as national Defense Production Act policy coordinator.
Schumer told "Morning Joe” he spoke recently with Navarro and was “very disappointed.”
“He is a good man,” Schumer said. “He is a professor. He knows a lot about China. He knows nothing about this.”
The swipes between Schumer and Trump come as Democrats are beginning to push for a Phase 4 coronavirus relief package. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) has already outlined a vision for the fourth package, Senate Republicans want to first focus on the implementation of the $2 trillion rescue package — the largest in history — which Congress passed and the president signed last week.
Sarah Owermohle and Quint Forgey contributed to this report.
CLARIFICATION: This story is updated to clarify that President Donald Trump was referring to Rear Adm. John P. Polowczyk in his tweet, per an administration official.
