Trump, "COVID-19 Testing Is a State Responsibility"... Clashes Again with Governors

Virginia Governor "Even Cotton Swabs Are in Short Supply"
Trump Mobilizes Defense Production Act in Response to Cotton Swab Shortage

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump, who refrained from escalating tensions by saying "the authority to reopen the economy lies with the governors," once again drew a line by telling governors hoping for expanded COVID-19 testing that it is "a state government matter." Following the reopening of the economy, the federal and state governments are showing signs of a second clash.

On the 19th (local time), during a White House COVID-19 task force briefing, President Trump addressed governors' requests for federal support to enhance COVID-19 testing capacity, saying, "Governors hoped to have full control over their state's economic normalization, but now they want the federal government to conduct testing," adding, "Testing is a local government matter. We are helping them a lot." This implies that since sufficient testing support has already been provided, the rest should be handled by each state.

President Trump also announced that he would invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase the production of medical swabs needed for testing by more than 20 million per month. Previously, Trump said he would use the DPA to produce masks and ventilators, and now he extended its application to swabs. He even took out a swab and waved it in front of reporters. He also claimed that the federal government has sufficiently supplied ventilators to state governments such as New York.

Trump's actions came in response to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's remarks that day. Governor Northam appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" and criticized Vice President Mike Pence's statement that sufficient COVID-19 testing had been conducted for the first phase of economic reopening as "delusional." He further expressed concern, saying, "Virginia is even short of swabs for COVID-19 testing." Virginia is a state where Trump has pressured for economic reopening by saying "do it freely."

Governors are raising concerns that sufficient testing has not yet been conducted. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated at a press conference that "the most aggressive COVID-19 testing will be implemented next week." He warned, "The beast (COVID-19) is still alive, and we have not yet killed the beast," adding, "It can come back to life."

Larry Hogan, Maryland Governor, who is the chairman of the National Governors Association and a Republican, also appeared on CNN to refute President Trump's claims, saying, "The assertion that a lot of COVID-19 testing has been done (for economic reopening) is not accurate."

Although protests demanding economic reopening are occurring across the U.S., a poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and NBC that day showed that 58% of respondents feared that easing stay-at-home orders too early would lead to further spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, 32% were more concerned about the economic damage if the suspension of economic activities prolonged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.