IN ORDER TO
DEFEND THAT BREAKING NEWS ,
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS JUST
STEPPED TO THE PODIUM TO BEGIN
THE CORONOAVIRUS TASK BRIEFING
.LET'S LISTEN EVERYTHING TO
EVERYONE. RIGHT NOW THIS VIRUS
IS ATTACK IN HUNDRED AND FORTY
NINE COUNTRIES BUT EVERYBODY
LOOKS TO US AND THEY'RE
WATCHING US AND I'M VERY PROUD
TO BE A PRESIDENT. I CAN TELL
YOU THAT THERE'S TREMENDOUS
HOPE AS WE LOOK FORWARD AND WE
BEGIN TO SEE THE LIGHT AT THE
END OF THE TUNNEL. STAY FOCUSED
AND STAY STRONG AND MY
ADMINISTRATION AND MYSELF WILL
DELIVER FOR YOU AS WE HAVE IN
THE PAST. LET ME PROVIDE YOU AN
UPDATE ON CRITICAL PREPARATIONS
AND SUPPLIES IN A WAR ON THE
VIRUS THROUGH FEMA. THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS DISTRIBUTING MORE
THAN 8 MILLION AND NINETY FIVE
RESPIRATORS 14 MILLION SURGICAL
MASKS AND MANY, MANY MILLIONS
MORE UNDERWATER AND THEY'LL BE
ARRIVING SOON. TWO POINT FOUR
MILLION FACE SHIELDS ONE POINT
NINE MILLION SURGICAL GOWNS,
THIRTEEN POINT FIVE MILLION
GLOVES AND MORE THAN 4000
VENTILATORS TO THE AREAS OF
GREATEST NEED HAVE ALREADY BEEN
SENT AND WE HAVE 4000 BEING
DELIVERED TO NEW YORK. THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS USING
EVERY RESOURCE AT ITS DISPOSAL
TO ACQUIRE AND DISTRIBUTE
CRITICAL MEDICAL SUPPLIES. THE
CORE ELEMENT OF THIS STRATEGY
IS MY EXECUTIVE ORDER
AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE
DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT WHICH
HAS AS YOU KNOW ALREADY BEEN
ACTIVATED ACTUALLY A LONG TIME
AGO QUITE A LONG TIME AGO.
PRIVATE COMPANIES ARE HEATING
OUR CALL TO PRODUCE MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES BECAUSE
THEY KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT
HESITATE TO INVOKE THE DPA IN
ORDER TO GET THEM TO DO WHAT
THEY HAVE TO DO. IT'S CALLED
LEVERAGE HAVE TO YOU USE IT
FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ACTUALLY
IT'S BEEN ACTIVATED BUT YOU
DON'T HAVE TO USE IT. BUT THE
THREAT OF IT BEING THERE IS
GREAT LEVERAGE. COMPANIES ARE
DOING AS WE ASK AND COMPANIES
ARE ACTUALLY EVEN BETTER THAN
THAT. THEY'RE COMING THROUGH
AND THEY'RE CALLING US AND IT'S
BEEN REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE
THIS MORNING. FORD 3M GENERAL
ELECTRIC HEALTHCARE ARE MAKING
TREMENDOUS NUMBERS. THEY'VE
ALREADY STARTED OFF
RESPIRATORS, VENTILATORS AND
FACE SHIELDS. THEY'RE WORKING
TOGETHER. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO
EXERCISE OR UTILIZE THE DPA IN
ANY WAY. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE
IT HELPS BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO
AND FOR THE MOST PART WE WON'T
HAVE TO. WE'RE RECEIVING FULL
COOPERATION FROM COMPANIES WITH
THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STANDS READY
TO COMPEL COOPERATION IF NEED
BE. WE HAVEN'T FOUND THAT TO BE
THE CASE. IT'S BEEN REALLY
AMAZING TO SEE THESE BIG STRONG
POWERFUL IN SOME CASES VERY
SMALL COMPANIES FAMILY OWNED
COMPANIES STEP UP AND MAKE A
LOT OF GREAT PRODUCT FOR WHAT
WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND WHAT WE
WILL CONTINUE TO BE GOING
THROUGH FOR A WHILE. THE ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE
NATIONAL GUARD ARE BUILDING FOR
HOSPITAL FACILITIES IN NEW YORK
CITY AT THE JAVITS CENTER WHICH
WILL BE OPERATIONAL VERY SOON.
THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED. IN
ADDITION, THEY'RE BUILDING FOUR
SEPARATE MEDICAL FACILITIES
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE.
WE'RE DEALING WITH GOVERNOR
CUOMO ON THAT. SO YOU GOING TO
FOUR HOSPITALS AND FOUR MEDICAL
FACILITIES AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
REALLY INCREDIBLE FACILITIES.
TEMPORARY BUT INCREDIBLE. WE'RE
ALSO DEPLOYING THE US NAVY
HOSPITAL SHIP AND THAT WILL BE
ARRIVING IN NEW YORK HARBOR IN
THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
IT'S FINISHING ITS MAINTENANCE
.THEY'RE DOING A VERY BIG
MAINTENANCE AND WHAT WE DID IS
WE CONDENSED VERY SERIOUSLY AND
AS YOU KNOW, THE OTHER HOSPITAL
SHIP AND THESE ARE INCREDIBLE
SHIPS. IT'S ALREADY ON ITS WAY
TO LOS ANGELES. SO WE'RE IN
FREQUENT CONTACT WITH STATE AND
LOCAL OFFICIALS AND GETTING A
LOT OF WORK DONE LIKEWISE
BUILDING HOSPITALS IN LOS
ANGELES. WE'RE WORKING ALSO THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON. WE'RE
WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. WE'RE
BUILDING A MEDICAL FACILITY, A
HOSPITAL FACILITY AND DOING A
LOT OF WORK. I WANT TO THANK
THE PEOPLE FROM FEMA, THE GREAT
PEOPLE FROM FEMA AND ALSO THE
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
SECRETARY MATT MNUCHIN AND THE
MEMBERS OF MY ADMINISTRATION
CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH
CONGRESS. I'M PLEASED TO REPORT
THAT WE ARE WORKING TO PASS THE
BIGGEST AND BOLDEST FINANCIAL
RELIEF PACKAGE IN AMERICAN
HISTORY♪♪
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