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It Sure Sounded Like Donald Trump Issued U.S. Governors a Quid Pro Quo If They Want Federal Pandemic Assistance

It Sure Sounded Like Donald Trump Issued U.S. Governors a Quid Pro Quo If They Want Federal Pandemic Assistance
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Evan Brechtel
By Evan BrechtelMar 24, 2020
Evan Brechtel
Evan Brechtel is a writer and actor living in New York. A Fordham University graduate, he also writes a monthly column for Chosen Magazine and is currently working on a historical fiction novel about New York queer bars over the twentieth century.
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Since his attempts to use congressionally approved military aid to pressure Ukraine's government into announcing an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, quid pro quos have become synonymous with Donald Trump's presidency.

Just last month, the President appeared to tweet a quid pro quo aimed at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, pressuring him to drop investigations into the Trump family in exchange for the reinstatement of travel programs.

Trump's latest quid pro quo occurred on Tuesday amid a pandemic that's upended daily life in the United States. This time, it was aimed at the governors of every state.

Watch below.

When speaking about the federal government assisting states in the face of a pandemic, Trump said:

"I think we're doing very well, but it's a two way street, they have to treat us well also. They can't say, 'Oh gee, we should get this we should get that.'"

Trump went on to criticize states like New York for pressuring him to help alleviate its shortage of crucial ventilators to combat the respiratory virus.

Since the pandemic became widespread, Trump has been at odds with governors across the country, urging them to take state measures to curb its spread, relying on the federal government only as a backup.

As a result, bidding wars over medical equipment have emerged between states. Instead of using federal powers to oversee the distribution, Trump has attacked governors on Twitter repeatedly.

Trump's pettiness in the face of a pandemic made this latest quid pro quo all the more exhausting.





The similarities between Trump's latest quid pro quo and the one offered to Ukraine which spurred his impeachment didn't escape anyone.




House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-CA) warned lawmakers during Trump's Senate trial that if he was willing to extort Ukraine, he'd be willing to extort states and governors as well.

At a chilling time in the United States, it appears that prediction is coming home to roost.

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