LANSING– Today, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes and Congressman Andy Levin slammed Donald Trump’s slow, ineffective response to COVID-1 that has put thousands of Michigan health care workers and patients in peril. During a press call with reporters, they highlighted how Trump ignored warnings about the pandemic for months and left Michigan’s nurses and doctors without the personal protective equipment they need. They were joined by Michigan nurse Dina Carlisle who discussed how Trump has failed Michigan health care workers on the front lines of the fight.
“It’s unacceptable to be putting these brave health care workers in the line of harm without the protective equipment they need,” said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes. “And yet we are. The reason is Donald Trump’s chaotic, incompetent leadership in the face of this COVID-19 crisis. First, he ignored months of warnings from those within his own administration and called this pandemic a Democratic “hoax.” Then he said, ‘it’s not much worse than the flu.’ And now, Trump is desperately trying to distract from his failures by lashing out at Governor Whitmer, at the media, and even the health care workers bravely fighting this disease. His failed, erratic leadership has left those most in need on the front lines lacking basic equipment. And Michigan is suffering as a result.”
“I have daily conversations with health care workers, city and township officials and experts who all say that there is still a desperate need for medical supplies like personal protective equipment,” Congressman Andy Levin said. “It is abundantly clear that our country was not prepared for a public health emergency of this level. President Trump squandered valuable weeks downplaying the risk of the disease when he could have been preparing our country for this precise and predictable scenario. President Trump’s refusal to properly use the Defense Production Act to streamline our country’s effort completely baffles me. This situation requires a WWII level response, and the president should be using every tool available to him to mount that response. Anything less is unacceptable.”
