Former Donald Trump White House official Matt Mowers told Breitbart News Saturday that Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) continues to “play politics” with the coronavirus response.

Mowers and Jim Bognet, another former Trump White House official, came out as one of the first politicians to call for a travel ban from China.

Mowers also helped fight another global pandemic, HIV, while serving at the State Department under Trump.

He told Breitbart News Saturday host Matthew Boyle, “I think it was monumental in our ability actually to confront the COVID-19 response right now. Had the president not restricted travel from China when he did, there would have been an influx of positive COVID-19 patients into America, and that was exactly the concern I had. I worked at the State Department under President Trump. I actually fought a global pandemic in his administration; we were fighting the global HIV pandemic. I traveled around the world working on that.”

Mowers said that Pappas, who represents New Hampshire’s first congressional district, cosponsored the No Ban Act, which would restrict the president’s ability to implement travel bans from coronavirus-afflicted countries such as China.

“I knew from that experience, working on those issues, that we had to restrict travel from mainland China when we did,” Mowers explained. “Thankfully for all of us, the president made that courageous decision. I would say that it’s courage because let’s not forget that you had Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, and Democrats like [Nancy] Pelosi and Pappas, who were opposed to it. In fact, Pappas was a sponsor of the No Ban Act, which would have restricted the president’s ability to implement these travel restrictions and saved countless lives.”

The New Hampshire conservative said that Pappas also continued to support impeachment while the coronavirus started to become a global pandemic.

“While they were playing politics, while they were trying to appease their left-wing base, our president was actually doing what was needed to keep our country safe and secure, and that’s why we elected him,” he added.

Democrats such as Pappas and House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) continue to oppose Republican legislation that would provide more small business relief.

“I think it’s a damn shame that Nancy Pelosi and Chris Pappas and the reset of the leftwing of the Democrat party are playing politics. Small business owners are hurting, families are hurting, those are on the ones in need right now,” Mowers said.

Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Eastern.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.