California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday praised President Trump for his handling of the novel coronavirus, particularly with the issue of the virus present on the Grand Princess cruise ship that has been hovering off California’s coast, telling reporters that “every single thing he [Trump] said, they followed through on.”
Newsom, during the presser, gave an update on the status of the Trump administration’s response to the Grand Princess cruise ship set to dock in Oakland, California, on Monday. Twenty-one people aboard the ship have tested positive for the virus.
“Over the past couple of days, President Trump has said that he would prefer if none of the passengers aboard these cruises landed on U.S. soil. Did he mention any of that to you in your conversation?” a reporter asked Newsom.
Newsom confirmed that he had a private conversation with the president, who told him, “We’re gonna do the right thing,” and, “You have my support, all of our support, logistically and otherwise.”
The governor added that Trump said, during their conversation, “everything that I could have hoped for.”
“And we had a very long conversation, and every single thing he said, they followed through on,” he continued, praising Vice President Mike Pence as well:
So I’m just not interested in finding daylight on those statements because every single thing his administration — and it stars at the top, including the vice president — has been consistent with the expectation that we’d repatriate these passengers and we’d do it in a way that does justice to the spirit that defines the best of our country and the state of California.
Thousands of passengers, 3,533, are aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, 21 of whom have tested positive for the virus. Deboarding will begin following its arrival on Monday. Newsom confirmed that passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine at various military bases. The 926 Californians aboard the ship will be quarantined at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego and Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, according to USA Today.
Dozens, including “thirty-four Georgians and additional American citizens,” will be transferred to the Dobbin Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, according to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Others will be transported to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland inx Texas, and “passengers from other countries will be flown out of the U.S. on charter flights,” according to USA Today.