Hillary Clinton Slams President Trump’s Coronavirus Response While Using Pandemic to ‘Catch Up on Reading’

Hillary Clinton is attacking President Trump for the way in which he is handling the coronavirus outbreak, while she is using the world-wide pandemic and societal shutdown to “catch up on some reading.”

The failed presidential candidate took to Twitter on Thursday to browbeat the man who defeated her in 2016:

Let’s try this again, @realdonaldtrump:

Hospitals are already running out of ventilators and beds. Nurses are using bandanas as masks.

If you’ve already ordered more with the Defense Production Act, tell us now.

If you haven’t, you’re failing to lead and failing Americans.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 19, 2020

“Hospitals are already running out of ventilators and beds. Nurses are using bandanas as masks,” she typed.

“If you’ve already ordered more with the Defense Production Act, tell us now,” she demanded.

“If you haven’t, you’re failing to lead and failing Americans,” she lectured.

But Trump did just that Wednesday, and reiterated it during a press conference on Thursday.

NPR reported:

The law contains a section that authorizes the president to control the production and distribution of scarce materials deemed “essential to the national defense.” In his executive order, Trump specifically cites protective equipment (presumably face masks) and ventilators as meeting the criteria in this provision.

On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence said, “We’ve extended the liability protection so now all the industrial masks that are manufactured as N95s are now available to hospitals, and we’re seeing a dramatic increase in production.”

He added, “Honeywell alone is repurposing a factory that was destined for Mexico to produce another 120 million masks per year. 3M is increasing output to 420 million masks per year.”

In an email to her supporters on Wednesday, Clinton said what she’s doing, while Trump is in the White House:

And while we’re at home, one way that we can support our communities is to continue to call on our representatives to further expand paid sick leave and paid family leave, as well as unemployment insurance and Medicaid funds. Millions of nurses, caregivers, and food service workers in America don’t have access to any paid sick leave. It’s morally wrong and, as the coronavirus crisis makes clear, it puts us all at risk.

As for us, Bill and I are at home, following the guidelines set by the governor and the CDC — and taking the opportunity to catch up on some reading. I’ve particularly enjoyed The Dutch House by the wonderful Ann Patchett.