In an interview with The Washington Post on Thursday, Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan explained why he has felt compelled to order the Maryland National Guard and state police to protect an order of 500,000 COVID-19 tests recently flown in from South Korea, including reports from other governors that the federal government has “confiscated” their tests.
Asked by the Post why the shipment of hundreds of thousands of tests, which were flown from South Korea and arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Airport on April 18, have been under strict guard by both state police and the National Guard, Hogan emphasized the value of the tests to the state.
“We were making sure that that plane took off from Korea safely, landed in America safely and that we guarded that cargo from anyone who might interfere with us getting it to our most in need,” said Hogan (partial transcript via Daily Mail). “We landed it there with a large contingent of Maryland National Guard and Maryland State Police. Because this was an enormously valuable payload. It was like Fort Knox to us because it’s going to save the lives of thousands of citizens.”
He then suggested the possibility of the highly valued tests being be seized by the federal government.
‘There had been reports of, for example in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker told the story of his planeload that came in with masks was basically confiscated by the federal government,” said Hogan. “He then had to get Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, to fly in a second mission on a private plane to try and bring that equipment in and there were a couple of other state with similar stories.”
As the New York Post explains, the governor’s comments “reference several reports that have circulated of FEMA either diverting coronavirus-related supplies that states had ordered or outbidding local officials at the last minute.”
In its post on social media, Washington Post Live highlighted Hogan’s concern that the feds might try to get their hands on the tests. “Maryland [Gov. Hogan] on whether he was concerned that the federal government would seize the tests the state procured from South Korea. He says the tests are being guarded by the National Guard at an undisclosed location.”
Maryland @GovLarryHogan on whether he was concerned that the federal government would seize the tests the state procured from South Korea. He says the tests are being guarded by the National Guard at an undisclosed location. https://t.co/uGcUi6U5rL pic.twitter.com/15BhHmLzql
— Washington Post Live (@PostLive) April 30, 2020
Responses to the Post’s video online has included expressions of amazement at governor’s claim and has prompted conspiratorial talk about President Trump and Jared Kushner.
“What the hell? In the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – a Governor feels he must have the state’s National Guard guard health care supplies b/c he fears the Federal Government will SEIZE them… after the President has told states they were ‘on their own’ to procure such supplies?” wrote one responder.
“Massachusetts was one of the first victims of Trump and Kushner’s maneuvers just almost a month ago,” wrote another. “Their orders were seized at JFK. Many of us encouraged them to use their National Guard and arrange flights direct to Massachusetts. Done.”
“How insane is this? The Governor has to hide the tests so our own damn federal government doesn’t confiscate them and sell them for a profit which probably goes in the pockets of the trump and Kushner crime families,” wrote another. Another declared: “Trump thinks he’s Al Capone and Kushner (aka ‘The Blue Flame’) is in charge of hijacking PPE shipments. I hope this load gets through.”
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