President Donald Trump criticized the Democratic governors of Michigan and Washington on Friday, saying they were complaining too much and not assisting the federal response to the coronavirus.
Trump said his interactions with most governors have been positive, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo has alternately praised and criticized the federal rresponse in recent weeks. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee were the only state officials he said were doing poorly. (RELATED: Pelosi Says Senate Coronavirus Bill Is Discriminatory To Residents In DC, One Day Before House Vote)
“He’s constantly chirping, and I guess complaining would be a nice way of saying it,” Trump said of Inslee. “We’re building hospitals. We’ve done a great job for the state of Washington.”
As for Whitmer: “She has no idea what’s going on, and all she does is say ‘oh, it’s the federal government’s fault.'”
DETROIT, MI-JUNE 14: Michigan Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer addresses the 37th United Auto Workers Constitutional Convention June14, 2018 at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
The comments came at the same Friday press briefing where Trump named Peter Navarro to be the national Defense Protection Act policy coordinator, allowing him to determine when and where the federal government forces private companies to bend their resources toward fighting the coronavirus. (RELATED: Mitch McConnell Restructures Campaign Into Meals Effort For Kentuckians Affected By Coronavirus)
Trump also signed the phase 3, $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package Congress passed earlier Friday. The bill was the largest relief package in American history.
The package includes a $1,200 payment to single Americans who make less than $75,000 a year, $2,400 for families that make under $150,000 a year, and $500 for each child under the age of 17. Americans will receive their deposits in three weeks.