Trump Disputes Report on Hospital Shortages and Alleges Bias
Trump Disputes Report on Hospital Shortages and Alleges Bias
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump disputed a U.S. government watchdog’s finding that hospitals are suffering widespread shortages of coronavirus test kits and protective gear, and suggested a political motive by the official who produced it.
“It’s just wrong,” he said of the report at a White House news conference on Monday, without offering any substantiation. He then demanded to know the name of the U.S. inspector general who produced the report.
“Give me the name of the inspector general. Could politics have entered into that?” Trump said. Late Friday, the president fired the inspector general for the U.S. intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, claiming he had lost trust in the watchdog.
Atkinson received a whistleblower complaint about Trump’s conduct with the president of Ukraine last July that led to his impeachment in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The inspector general’s office at Health and Human Services on Monday published a report on the coronavirus testing and medical supply shortages, based on surveys of more than 300 U.S. hospitals in late March.
“Testing challenges hampered hospitals’ efforts to reduce community spread, protect staff, and care for patients,” the report said.
HHS doesn’t currently have an inspector general. The office is led by its principal deputy inspector general, Christi Grimm, according to its website.
After a reporter told Trump Grimm’s name at the news conference, he responded: “We’re going to take a look at it.”
Trump asked how long she has been in the government, and the reporter said she’s held positions in previous administrations.
“You mean the Obama administration,” Trump said. “Thank you for telling me that.”
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