In the face of the current public health crisis facing the United States, President Donald Trump has found himself at odds with governors around the country for his hesitation to use federal powers to help curb the virus.
Trump recently told a group of governors to take their own measures to procure lifesaving medical equipment and he's attacked governors on Twitter for criticizing the federal government's response.
Trump's latest gubernatorial target was Democratic Illinois governor JB Pritzker, whom Trump accused of working with "Fake News" media to blame the federal government for "their own shortcomings."
Prtizker has said that Illinois is being forced to compete with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other states for ventilators—a vital tool for managing the respiratory virus.
The Governor is one of many officials criticizing Trump for his refusal to use the Defense Production Act to mobilize private companies in the production of medical equipment to avoid a shortage. He's also called on Trump to use federal powers to mediate the distribution of medical equipment to states.
After his Sunday morning tweet, Pritzker was quick to remind the President of the federal government's shortcomings in the face of the virus.
Pritzker railed against Trump for dismissing the virus as the first outbreaks were spreading throughout the United States. He also pressed Trump on the availability of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), which health professionals across the country have had trouble procuring.
Despite Trump's Twitter tantrum people largely sided with Governor Pritzker.
People continued to criticize Trump for failing to sufficiently use his office to mobilize resources and show leadership.
While the President's leadership has been heavily criticized, the response of governors around the United States has been praised for stepping up where the federal government refused.
@GavinNewsom/X
