President Donald Trump lashed out Friday at General Motors over their production of coronavirus ventilators.
“As usual with ‘this’ General Motors, things just never seem to work out,” Trump tweeted. “They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, ‘very quickly’. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar.”
He added that it’s “always a mess” working with CEO Mary Barra. Trump also invoked “P,” which he clarified in a later tweet to be the Defense Production Act. (RELATED: Trump Gives Ford, General Motors, Tesla ‘The Go Ahead’ To Mass Produce Coronavirus Ventilators)
As usual with “this” General Motors, things just never seem to work out. They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, “very quickly”. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke “P”.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
Invoke “P” means Defense Production Act!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
The president went on to announce the federal government “purchased many ventilators from some wonderful companies” and added that the “names and numbers will be announced later today.”
We have just purchased many Ventilators from some wonderful companies. Names and numbers will be announced later today!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
Thousand of Federal Government (delivered) Ventilators found in New York storage. N.Y. must distribute NOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
At Thursday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing, Trump clarified a disconnect between his own statements and those of Federal Emergency Management administrator Peter Gaynor on the DPA.
Gaynor had flipped flopped in recent days as to whether or not DPA had been invoked, and Trump confirmed it had been used twice before he “withdrew it.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“The Defense Production Act is a wonderful thing, but I just haven’t had to use it,” Trump said at the time. “They know it’s activated. They know I can use it. Maybe that frightens them a little bit.”
Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo previously commended Trump for “using the DPA well because it’s basically a leverage tool when you are dealing with private companies.” (RELATED: Improbable, But Not Impossible: Could Andrew Cuomo Walk Away From A Brokered Convention With The Democratic Nomination?)
The White House did not respond to inquiries on the president’s Friday comments.