Trump outbid governors on coronavirus supplies after telling them to buy their own – By Jordan Fabian and Bloomberg (Fortune) / March 19 2020
President Donald Trump’s directive for governors to buy their own medical supplies to fight the coronavirus has run into a big problem—the federal government.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told Trump during a video conference on Thursday that his state three times lost out to the federal government on purchases of critical supplies, creating an awkward moment during the made-for-TV event at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington.
“I’ve got a feeling that if someone has the chance to sell to you and to sell to me, I am going to lose on every one of those,” a sheepish-sounding Baker told Trump, who chuckled at the remark.
The president replied he still wants governors to seek out their own medical equipment, like protective gear for doctors and nurses as well as respirators, but acknowledged the federal government has greater buying power than any state.
Continue to article: https://fortune.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-trump-states-governors-medical-supplies-fema/
