News
Greg Evans
Mar 30, 2020
Donald Trump has caused outrage after he suggested that healthcare workers in hospitals are stealing face masks and then selling them "out the back door".
Speaking to the press at the White House on Sunday, the president was seemingly baffled as to the lack of protective masks in New York hospitals and urged the press to investigate unverified illegal activity, which he had no evidence of.
In a shocking moment, the president said:
For years [suppliers] have been delivering ten to twenty thousand masks. OK, it’s a New York hospital and it’s packed all the time but how do you go from ten to twenty thousand to 300,000?
Something’s going on and you ought to look into it as reporters. Where are the masks going? Are they going out the back door?
And we have that in a lot of different places so somebody should probably look into that because I just don’t see from a practical standpoint how that’s possible.
Trump's claim appears to be based on absolutely nothing and comes at a time when New York has become one of the prime epicentres for the outbreak as more than 8,000 people have no been hospitalised.
Needless to say, Trump's completely unfounded claim has caused an outburst of rage from his critics on Twitter.
Today, Donald Trump accused nurses of stealing masks and running a black market. Not only is there no bottom, but… https://t.co/QqzkUVlVcc— Bill Prady (Taylor's Version) (@Bill Prady (Taylor's Version)) 1585520503
"How do you go from 10 to 20 to 30,000, to 300,000 -- even though this is different. Something is going on. And you… https://t.co/Ku1K1H4Mth— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1585519129
"How do you go from 10 to 20 to 30,000, to 300,000 [masks]...? Something is going on. And you ought to look into it… https://t.co/Z9Gox7g91t— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D) 1585521815
There are no words. https://t.co/i1lzQPI3BT— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa Milano) 1585521110
What an absolutely despicable slur against the heroes who are literally risking their lives to save the victims of… https://t.co/BqsLK14uYI— Jeremy Konyndyk (@Jeremy Konyndyk) 1585522416
this more than anything shows that he has absolutely no idea what is happening in New York City hospitals right now https://t.co/i5R3U9vqJV— russbengtson.eesh (@russbengtson.eesh) 1585520452
Even care workers have lambasted Trump for his comments.
WE ARE NOT HOARDING. WE ARE DESPERATE FOR HELP. I have spent weeks trying to find masks & respirators all over Colo… https://t.co/rdrmS6EfoT— Dr. Comilla (@Dr. Comilla) 1585527603
Why the fuck would doctors lie about how many masks we need?? https://t.co/agdsViTzHR— Brian MD (@Brian MD) 1585520116
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also reprimanded Trump for his comments.
You do it by having medical staff treat patients day and night during this pandemic, continually risking themselves… https://t.co/Mfn3lfbkeF— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi) 1585538761
If that wasn't enough, Trump also accused hospitals of hoarding ventilators, without any evidence.
Without evidence, Trump accuses hospitals of "hoarding" ventilators https://t.co/hnra0YYfhe— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1585519739
At the time of writing, there have been 965 deaths in New York state.
The masks that Trump is questioning are single-use only. As an example, New York Presbyterian Hospital employs 20,000 people.
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