AOC Has Strong Words About The Trump Administration’s Response To The COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis
The Trump administration’s COVID-19 response has left a lot to be desired by health experts, scientists, and politicians. Many believe that President Donald Trump fumbled the response at the beginning of the pandemic, leading to the current crisis. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one person demanding more action from the federal government.
AOC was a guest on Jake Tapper’s “State of the Union” and the topic was COVID-19.
AOC’s hometown is experiencing the worst spread of COVID-19 infections than any other city in the U.S. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addresses the press every morning offering updates on how the virus is spreading through New York state in comparison to the U.S.
Gov. Cuomo has echoed the same warnings from health experts on the need for social distancing and self-isolation to flatten the curve. The fear right now is that hospitals will be overrun with cases in the coming weeks. By social distancing and self-isolating, health experts predict that the U.S. would be able to flatten the curve and alleviate some of the stress that will be placed on the U.S. healthcare system.
AOC’s argument of the Trump administration not doing enough is being heard across the medical industry.
“I have several major hospitals in my district from Jacobi Medical Center to Elmhurst Hospital, New York-Presbyterian, and one of the things that we are hearing over and over again from hospitals again is this point on personal protective equipment,” AOC says. “There are not enough face masks, gloves, ventilators, [and] hospital beds to get us through this. Many hospitals are already at capacity or are approaching capacity and there is kind of no real stream insight from the federal government on where these materials are coming from.”
AOC added: “Companies are donating what they can. That is great. It is not enough. The fact that the president has not really invoked the Defense Production Act for the purpose of emergency manufacturing is going to cost lives.”
AOC continued in calling out the Trump administration and how it downplayed the very serious risk at the beginning of the outbreak.
“It is absolutely needed. We are thankful to anyone who is pitching in on this effort, but we are nowhere near the bed and the capacity that we need in this country. We’re hearing it every step of the way with this administration. First, we were hearing that it’s a hoax. Then we were hearing that everything was fine. Then we were hearing that the fundamentals of the economy were okay until the crash comes,” AOC says. “We cannot wait until people start really dying in large numbers to start production, especially if more complicated equipment like ventilators and hospital beds. We need to start this production right now to get ready for the surge that is coming in two to three weeks.”
Health experts have criticized the president for downplaying the true dangers of the virus at the beginning of the U.S. outbreak. Trump has faced renewed criticism for wanting to open the U.S. for business by April 12. Experts claim that opening the country for business that early could lead to more deaths and an increased infection rate.
Remember, the best things you can do is work from home if possible, practice social distancing when in public, and washing your hands. This can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve.
