Governors Condemn Trump for Allegedly Sending COVID Tests to Putin

Governors Criticize Trump Over Alleged COVID-19 Test Shipment to Russia

Allegations have emerged that former President Donald Trump dispatched COVID-19 tests to Russia during the early stages of the pandemic, prompting criticism from Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and two other Democratic state leaders. The claims were highlighted in a forthcoming book by journalist Bob Woodward, which suggests that Trump secretly sent the tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the book, Putin advised Trump to keep the operation under wraps to avoid political fallout.

A report from The Washington Post shed light on the details of Woodward’s book, set for release on October 15. A representative for Trump has dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

In a joint statement issued Friday, Governors Evers, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan collectively criticized Trump’s actions, saying, “Former President Trump betrayed us.”

The governors recounted their early pandemic efforts to secure essential supplies like COVID-19 tests, ventilators, and N-95 masks, claiming that the federal government left them to manage on their own. They described a time when the pandemic’s death toll was uncertain, and healthcare systems were overburdened. “It was a terrifying time,” they stated, highlighting Trump’s alleged neglect of their requests to boost domestic production via the Defense Production Act.

Facing federal inaction, states reportedly resorted to purchasing supplies from foreign entities, often at inflated prices, using state funds. The governors’ statement expressed outrage over the recent report, charging Trump with prioritizing his relationship with Putin over American lives. They demanded answers, asserting that Trump’s connections with Putin are “well documented” and that this incident illustrates a preference for a foreign leader over national security.

The joint statement further emphasized the pandemic’s toll, with 1.2 million American deaths, attributing some of these to the lack of timely access to necessary medical supplies. They called on Trump to clarify why he allegedly prioritized his friendship with Putin over the American populace during a critical period.