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Trump invokes Defense Production Act, accusing General Motors of ‘wasting time’ on producing ventilators

27-3-2020 < RT 20 163 words
 

President Donald Trump has invoked wartime powers, ordering General Motors to produce ventilators to treat Covid-19 patients. The move comes after Trump unloaded on the automaker for delaying production.


Trump’s order, signed on Friday, requires General Motors to “accept, perform, and prioritize Federal contracts for ventilators,” per a White House statement. Previously, Trump had touted GM’s commitment to producing 40,000 ventilators in partnership with Ventec Life Systems, but after GM supposedly revised that number down to 6,000, Trump accused them on Friday of “wasting time.”


Several hours earlier, Trump exploded at GM, demanding on Twitter that the automaker open its “stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio” and “START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!”


Also on rt.com ‘Open your STUPIDLY abandoned plant’: Trump lashes out at GM & Ford over ventilator delay

After Trump’s order, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will now dictate how many ventilators GM will manufacture.


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