On Thursday night, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reacted to the scathing letter President Trump sent him on Thursday, clutching his pearls and huffing, “I’m just appalled.”
Schumer stated, “And so about two weeks ago, I called the president and said, ‘Why don’t you invoke the Defense Production Act?’ That’s an act on the books from the Truman administration and it says that the military can commandeer both manufacturing and distribution when there’s a national emergency or a war. The president said he’d do it and then three hours later he said no.”
Schumer continued, “And now, he hasn’t done it, and we sort of have this patchwork, where governors and mayors, my governor, my mayor, they’re doing good jobs, but they’re going around looking for ventilators, looking for masks. It’s uncoordinated and it’s a patchwork.”
Then Schumer referenced the letter he had written to Trump earlier on Thursday that prompted Trump’s withering response.
So this morning I sent the president a letter and said, “Why don’t you invoke the Defense Production Act and put in place a military person? Somebody who knows command and control, someone who knows logistics, someone who knows quarter-mastering, to not only commandeer factories and supply chains to make the stuff that we need, desperately need, but also to distribute it in the places that are most needed so not the 50 governors will be hunting and pecking.”
Then Schumer started complaining:
And then I spoke to the president late this afternoon and explained it and the result is this letter. And so I’m just appalled. I say to the president, “Just stop the pettiness. People are dying.” And so, President Trump, we need leadership, we need to get the job done. Stop the pettiness. Let’s get it done. Let’s roll up our sleeves. I sent the letter with the best of intentions, trying to improve a very bad situation.”
Schumer’s letter, with the “best of intentions,” contained statements such as “the tardiness and inadequacy of this Administration’s response to the crisis becomes more painfully evident,” “The existing federal leadership void has left America with an ugly spectacle,” and “our national response is far behind where it should be.”
Trump’s letter roared back:
If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers) and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the “invisible enemy.” No wonder AOC and others are thinking about running against you in the primary. If they did, they would likely win.
Fortunately, we have been working with your state and city governments, Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to get the job done. You have been missing in action except when it comes to the “press.” While you have stated that you don’t like Andrew Cuomo, you ought to start working alongside him for the good of all New Yorkers.
I’ve known you for many years, but I never knew how bad a Senator you are for the state of New York until I became President.
H/T Townhall