From the Rose Garden, Donald Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency. Two very big words.”
“I’m also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan, so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere.”
Vox reports, “This act will free up federal funding for the states to use in response to the crisis, enabling them to tap into $42.6 billion that could be applied to tests, medical facilities, and other supplies.”
As public health officials urge major changes in people's lives, and major institutions are shutting down operations, Trump says, "This will pass. This will pass through, and we're going to be even stronger for it.''
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 13, 2020
After Trump wrapped his speech, a parade of guests spoke, most fawned over the president. Many of the speakers were CEOs from large companies such as Target and CVS. They received an opportunity to promote their businesses on live TV right before the closing bell on Wall Street.
https://twitter.com/jonlovett/status/1238553363303690241
The private sector is important in this, but is this just because Trump only understands CEOs that they're all up there? Where are the scientists? Where's the CDC? The FDA?
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 13, 2020