Trump’s Administration “Donated” 17.8 Tons Of Personal Protective Equipment To China In February, Now Look Who Is Struggling

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, many of us woke up to the Department of State trending on Twitter about them donating tons of PPE to China, while the United States is struggling to find the necessary gear for our own medical personnel.

Back in February, the Department of State released a press statement about helping out China during the Coronavirus outbreak.

In the release, the state department transported “nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to the Chinese people, including masks, gowns, gauze, respirators, and other vital materials.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted about the transporting of gear along with a video of the equipment being loaded on a plane.

We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan. Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in #China and help protect people from the #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/57SN2TXfLP

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 7, 2020

“We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan. Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in #China and help protect people from the #coronavirus.”

A month later, governors from some of the hardest-hit states have been asking for more PPE for their hospitals and medical providers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19. But according to Trump, if the governors aren’t “appreciative” of his administration’s efforts, they will not be reaching out.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told NBC that he is competing with states, the federal government, and foreign countries in its bids to purchase medical equipment

“The truth is that I was on the phone yesterday talking to companies and here’s what I ran into: in one case we’re competing for ventilators with FEMA and the federal government. So Illinois is bidding for ventilators against the federal government. In another case, we were bidding against foreign countries and other states. And so what’s happening too, not just on ventilators but on all the PPE that we need, prices are being ratcheted up, and we’re competing against each other on what should be a national crisis where we should be coming together, and the federal government should be leading, helping us.”

In the face of the unprecedented challenges presented by #COVID19, the people of Illinois have stepped up once again: our innovative biotech companies & state-of-the art manufacturers are teaming up with the State of Illinois to ramp up production of PPE. https://t.co/Py6VthOjRL

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 23, 2020

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has also stated that she’s repeatedly asked “respectfully” for help. “I’ve asked repeatedly and respectfully for help. We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits,” Whitmer tweeted.

According to the Department of State’s press statement, “we are the world’s most generous donors.”

“The United States is and will remain the world’s most generous donor. We encourage the rest of the world to match our commitment.  Working together, we can have a profound impact to contain this growing threat.”