Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is offering rare praise for President Donald Trump’s leadership, calling his response to the coronavirus outbreak “incredible.”
“Politics aside, this is incredible and the right response in this critical time,” Omar, a member of the progressive “Squad,” wrote Wednesday evening in response to a list of Trump’s actions in response to the virus and its devastating economic impact. Those actions, shared by the Intercept’s Lee Fang, include “suspending mortgage foreclosures” and “demanding cash payments to Americans.”
“Ayanna Pressley always says, unprecedented times require unprecedented leadership and we are seeing that in our country right now. I have faith that we will survive this as a nation and build together,” Omar added, referencing her fellow “Squad” member from Massachusetts.
“This is a great start and hope others will be part of a united front to push for good policies that will help us work through the economic anxiety the country is feeling right now,” she concluded.
Promising “total victory” over the coronavirus outbreak, President Trump announced a series of additional measures Wednesday to help beat the pandemic — which include invoking a 70-year-old law that allows him to use the private sector to make up the shortage of medical supplies.
At a White House briefing with his Coronavirus Task Force, Trump said the 1950 Defense Production Act — which allows the federal government to the marshal the manufacturing capabilities of the private sector during wartime — will be used “in case we need it.”
“It can do a lot good things if we need it,” he said, adding that he would sign an order activating the law immediately.
The United States has more than 9,415 coronavirus cases, according to a live tally tracked by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. death toll is 150 so far, with the majority recorded in Washington state.
President Trump said using the Defense Production Act shows that his administration is taking a wartime footing in response to the disease, and said, “Now it’s our time.”
“We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through together,” he added. “It’s the invisible enemy. That’s always the toughest enemy. But we are going to defeat the invisible enemy.”
The UPI contributed to this report.