Governors Criticize Trump Over Alleged COVID-19 Test Shipment to Russia
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, along with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, have voiced strong criticism of former President Donald Trump following claims that he secretly sent COVID-19 tests to Russia during his presidency. The allegations were highlighted in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward, which suggests that Trump shipped the tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin early in the pandemic.
According to Woodward’s book, set for release on October 15, Trump was advised by Putin to keep the transaction under wraps to avoid potential political fallout. A report from The Washington Post on Tuesday brought these claims to light. However, a Trump spokesperson has dismissed the book’s assertions as false.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Governors Evers, Pritzker, and Whitmer accused Trump of betrayal. They recalled the challenges they faced in the early months of the pandemic when they sought federal assistance for COVID-19 testing kits, ventilators, and N-95 masks. The governors claimed that the federal government left them to manage on their own, despite their repeated requests for aid.
The governors further alleged that Trump declined their appeals to boost domestic production of essential supplies through the Defense Production Act. Consequently, states had to rely on expensive foreign suppliers, purchasing necessary items with state funds. They criticized Trump’s actions, stating, “It was a terrifying time.”
The governors’ statement expressed outrage at the revelation of Trump allegedly sending testing kits to Putin during a critical public health crisis. They wrote, “Now we are reading reports that during this unprecedented and historic public health crisis, while Americans were dying and desperate for life-saving supplies, former President Trump was personally sending testing kits to Russian President Vladimir Putin. For that, we demand answers.”
The statement also highlighted Trump’s “cozy relationship with Putin,” suggesting that the former president prioritized a foreign leader over the American people, thereby threatening national security. “Former President Trump betrayed us. Americans suffered during the pandemic. 1.2 million Americans died, many because they did not have access to adequate supplies at a critical time,” the governors wrote. “Donald Trump must explain why he put his personal friendship with Putin, a ruthless dictator and war criminal, over the American people.”
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