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President Donald Trump arrives for a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic in the press briefing room of the White House on March 26, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump is expected as early as the end of this week to sign legislation that would establish a $4.5 trillion bailout fund for large corporations, but the prospect of spending around a billion dollars for the production of tens of thousands of much-needed ventilators amid the coronavirus crisis is apparently a bridge too far for the White House.
The New York Timesreported late Thursday that the Trump administration abruptly canceled its planned announcement of an agreement with General Motors and Ventec Life Systems "that would allow for the production of as many as 80,000 desperately needed ventilators to respond to an escalating pandemic."
One of the primary reasons for the White House's decision to cancel the announcement set for Wednesday, according to the Times, was the supposedly prohibitive price tag.
"That price tag was more than $1 billion, with several hundred million dollars to be paid upfront to General Motors to retool a car parts plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the ventilators would be made with Ventec's technology," the Times reported. "Government officials said that the deal might still happen but that they are examining at least a dozen other proposals."
\u201cWhite House Cancels GM Joint Venture to Mass Produce Ventilators Over Fears Its Price Tag Could Exceed $1 Billion\u2014or 0.05% of Latest Stimulus Bill\nhttps://t.co/Fwnexlb94y\u201d— Mediaite (@Mediaite) 1585282884
Trump, to the dismay of state officials across the U.S., has thus far refused to utilize the Defense Production Act to order private corporations to produce necessary medical equipment, insisting that his administration can make a deal with companies to do so without being compelled by the federal government.
But hospitals around the nation are issuing dire warnings of supply shortages as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly, and experts are calling on Trump to stop dragging his feet.
"As governors and local leaders around the country are making clear, private efforts without more extensive government support are proving far from sufficient to meet the current and anticipated needs," more than 100 national security experts wrote in a letter to the president this week.
Some officials in the Trump administration, according to the Times, are worried about the opposite problem: too much medical equipment. "Officials expressed concern about the possibility of ordering too many ventilators, leaving them with an expensive surplus," the Times reported.
"Think about this. He's going to kill thousands of people," tweeted Richard Yeselson, contributing editor at Dissent. "He's holding up a deal for GM to make 80k ventilators a month right now because he thinks we might have an oversupply of ventilators when we're dealing with a lethal respiratory virus! Monster."
In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday night, Trump suggested New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was exaggerating when he said Tuesday that his state--the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.-- needs 30,000 additional ventilators for hospitals to have the capacity to respond effectively to the influx of sick patients.
"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes they'll have two ventilators," Trump said. "And now, all of a sudden they're saying can we order 30,000 ventilators. So, look, it's a very bad situation, we haven't seen anything like it, but the end result is we gotta get back to work, and I think we can start by opening up certain parts of the country."
\u201c"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go to major hospitals, sometimes they have 2 ventilators." -- Trump suggests Cuomo is exaggerating about the medical gear he needs to keep people alive\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1585271633
"This is monstrous and people will die," MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted in response to Trump's remarks.
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
President Donald Trump is expected as early as the end of this week to sign legislation that would establish a $4.5 trillion bailout fund for large corporations, but the prospect of spending around a billion dollars for the production of tens of thousands of much-needed ventilators amid the coronavirus crisis is apparently a bridge too far for the White House.
The New York Timesreported late Thursday that the Trump administration abruptly canceled its planned announcement of an agreement with General Motors and Ventec Life Systems "that would allow for the production of as many as 80,000 desperately needed ventilators to respond to an escalating pandemic."
One of the primary reasons for the White House's decision to cancel the announcement set for Wednesday, according to the Times, was the supposedly prohibitive price tag.
"That price tag was more than $1 billion, with several hundred million dollars to be paid upfront to General Motors to retool a car parts plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the ventilators would be made with Ventec's technology," the Times reported. "Government officials said that the deal might still happen but that they are examining at least a dozen other proposals."
\u201cWhite House Cancels GM Joint Venture to Mass Produce Ventilators Over Fears Its Price Tag Could Exceed $1 Billion\u2014or 0.05% of Latest Stimulus Bill\nhttps://t.co/Fwnexlb94y\u201d— Mediaite (@Mediaite) 1585282884
Trump, to the dismay of state officials across the U.S., has thus far refused to utilize the Defense Production Act to order private corporations to produce necessary medical equipment, insisting that his administration can make a deal with companies to do so without being compelled by the federal government.
But hospitals around the nation are issuing dire warnings of supply shortages as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly, and experts are calling on Trump to stop dragging his feet.
"As governors and local leaders around the country are making clear, private efforts without more extensive government support are proving far from sufficient to meet the current and anticipated needs," more than 100 national security experts wrote in a letter to the president this week.
Some officials in the Trump administration, according to the Times, are worried about the opposite problem: too much medical equipment. "Officials expressed concern about the possibility of ordering too many ventilators, leaving them with an expensive surplus," the Times reported.
"Think about this. He's going to kill thousands of people," tweeted Richard Yeselson, contributing editor at Dissent. "He's holding up a deal for GM to make 80k ventilators a month right now because he thinks we might have an oversupply of ventilators when we're dealing with a lethal respiratory virus! Monster."
In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday night, Trump suggested New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was exaggerating when he said Tuesday that his state--the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.-- needs 30,000 additional ventilators for hospitals to have the capacity to respond effectively to the influx of sick patients.
"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes they'll have two ventilators," Trump said. "And now, all of a sudden they're saying can we order 30,000 ventilators. So, look, it's a very bad situation, we haven't seen anything like it, but the end result is we gotta get back to work, and I think we can start by opening up certain parts of the country."
\u201c"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go to major hospitals, sometimes they have 2 ventilators." -- Trump suggests Cuomo is exaggerating about the medical gear he needs to keep people alive\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1585271633
"This is monstrous and people will die," MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted in response to Trump's remarks.
President Donald Trump is expected as early as the end of this week to sign legislation that would establish a $4.5 trillion bailout fund for large corporations, but the prospect of spending around a billion dollars for the production of tens of thousands of much-needed ventilators amid the coronavirus crisis is apparently a bridge too far for the White House.
The New York Timesreported late Thursday that the Trump administration abruptly canceled its planned announcement of an agreement with General Motors and Ventec Life Systems "that would allow for the production of as many as 80,000 desperately needed ventilators to respond to an escalating pandemic."
One of the primary reasons for the White House's decision to cancel the announcement set for Wednesday, according to the Times, was the supposedly prohibitive price tag.
"That price tag was more than $1 billion, with several hundred million dollars to be paid upfront to General Motors to retool a car parts plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the ventilators would be made with Ventec's technology," the Times reported. "Government officials said that the deal might still happen but that they are examining at least a dozen other proposals."
\u201cWhite House Cancels GM Joint Venture to Mass Produce Ventilators Over Fears Its Price Tag Could Exceed $1 Billion\u2014or 0.05% of Latest Stimulus Bill\nhttps://t.co/Fwnexlb94y\u201d— Mediaite (@Mediaite) 1585282884
Trump, to the dismay of state officials across the U.S., has thus far refused to utilize the Defense Production Act to order private corporations to produce necessary medical equipment, insisting that his administration can make a deal with companies to do so without being compelled by the federal government.
But hospitals around the nation are issuing dire warnings of supply shortages as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly, and experts are calling on Trump to stop dragging his feet.
"As governors and local leaders around the country are making clear, private efforts without more extensive government support are proving far from sufficient to meet the current and anticipated needs," more than 100 national security experts wrote in a letter to the president this week.
Some officials in the Trump administration, according to the Times, are worried about the opposite problem: too much medical equipment. "Officials expressed concern about the possibility of ordering too many ventilators, leaving them with an expensive surplus," the Times reported.
"Think about this. He's going to kill thousands of people," tweeted Richard Yeselson, contributing editor at Dissent. "He's holding up a deal for GM to make 80k ventilators a month right now because he thinks we might have an oversupply of ventilators when we're dealing with a lethal respiratory virus! Monster."
In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday night, Trump suggested New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was exaggerating when he said Tuesday that his state--the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.-- needs 30,000 additional ventilators for hospitals to have the capacity to respond effectively to the influx of sick patients.
"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes they'll have two ventilators," Trump said. "And now, all of a sudden they're saying can we order 30,000 ventilators. So, look, it's a very bad situation, we haven't seen anything like it, but the end result is we gotta get back to work, and I think we can start by opening up certain parts of the country."
\u201c"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go to major hospitals, sometimes they have 2 ventilators." -- Trump suggests Cuomo is exaggerating about the medical gear he needs to keep people alive\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1585271633
"This is monstrous and people will die," MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted in response to Trump's remarks.
"How the government reacts will tell us so much about how far down the road to autocracy we are," said one lawyer.
A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the return of a Maryland resident who the Trump administration mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador last month, according to The Associated Press.
Prior to issuing the ruling, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia "an illegal act."
The judge, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, gave the Trump administration end of the day of the day on Monday to bring him back to the United States.
Supporters outside the courtroom cheered as the judge handed down her order, according to The Washington Post.
Responding to the ruling on social media, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said: "This is a big win. Now Trump must comply with the judge's order."
Immigration lawyer Ava Benach wrote: "The right decision. How the government reacts will tell us so much about how far down the road to autocracy we are."
The right decision. How the government reacts will tell us so much about how far down the road to autocracy we are.
[image or embed]
— avabenach.bsky.social (@avabenach.bsky.social) April 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Abrego Garcia was among hundreds of people the administration expelled in mid-March to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador after targeting them for alleged gang ties.
In a court papers filed earlier this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting field office director admitted that the removal of Abrego Garcia on March 15 "was an error."
Abrego Garcia was deported despite the fact that in 2019, a U.S. immigration judge ruled that he could not be deported to his native El Salvador because he would likely face gang persecution there.
"Corporations get let off the hook, Musk gets insider information, and the American people get hosed."
The latest U.S. agency in the crosshairs of billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is reportedly the Federal Trade Commission, an already-understaffed department tasked with preventing monopolistic practices and shielding consumers from corporate abuses.
Axios reported Friday that at least two DOGE staffers "now have offices at" the FTC. According to The Verge, two DOGE members "were spotted" at the agency's building this week and "are now listed in the FTC's internal directory."
The Verge noted that the FTC is "a fairly lean agency with fewer than 1,200 employees," a number that the Trump administration has already cut into with the firing of some of the department's consumer protection and antitrust staff.
At least two of Musk's companies, Tesla and X, have faced scrutiny in recent years from the FTC, which is now under the leadership of Trump appointee Andrew Ferguson, who previously pledged to roll back former chair Lina Khan's anti-monopoly legacy.
Emily Peterson-Cassin, corporate power director at the Demand Progress Education Fund, which referred to the operatives as Musk's "minions," said Friday that "DOGE is yet again raiding a federal watchdog tasked with protecting working Americans from Wall Street and Big Tech."
"The FTC has worked to stop monopolistic mergers that would have led to higher grocery prices and is now gearing up to go to court against Meta's social media monopoly," said Peterson-Cassin. "It's no surprise that at this moment, while the economy is in freefall and fraud is on the rise, DOGE is choosing to raid the federal watchdog that protects everyday Americans and threatens corporate monopolies and grifters."
News of DOGE staffers' infiltration of the FTC came as Trump's sweeping new tariffs continued to cause global economic turmoil and heightened concerns that companies in the U.S. will use the tariffs as a new excuse to jack up prices and pad their bottom lines.
Ferguson pledged in a social media post Thursday that under his leadership, the FTC "will be watching closely" to ensure companies don't view Trump's tariffs "as a green light for price fixing or any other unlawful behavior."
But Trump has hobbled the agency—and prompted yet another legal fight—by firing its two Democratic commissioners, a move that sparked fury and has already impacted the FTC's ability to pursue cases against large corporations.
Peterson-Cassin said Friday that "the only winners" of DOGE's targeting of the FTC "are Trump's billionaire besties like [Meta CEO] Mark Zuckerberg and especially Musk, who now stands to gain access to confidential financial information about every company ever investigated by the FTC, including the auto manufacturers, aerospace firms, internet providers, tech companies, and banks that directly compete with his own companies."
"Corporations get let off the hook, Musk gets insider information, and the American people get hosed," Peterson-Cassin added.
"The president single-handedly wiped out Americans' retirement savings overnight and subjected businesses to intense whiplash with his increasingly erratic and chaotic policies that continue to drive consumer and business uncertainty."
Alarm over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs continues to grow, with stocks plummeting and JPMorgan warning that "the risk of recession in the global economy this year is raised to 60%, up from 40%."
After China announced new 34% tariffs on all American goods beginning next week, The Associated Press reported Friday that "the S&P 500 was down 4.8% in afternoon trading, after earlier dropping more than 5%, following its worst day since Covid wrecked the global economy in 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1,719 points, or 4.3%, as of 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.9% lower."
Noting the state of Wall Street this week, Groundwork Collaborative executive director Lindsay Owens declared in a Friday statement that "Trump has officially brought the economy to its knees."
"The president single-handedly wiped out Americans' retirement savings overnight and subjected businesses to intense whiplash with his increasingly erratic and chaotic policies that continue to drive consumer and business uncertainty," she said. "To call this an economic downturn is an understatement; Trump is marching us straight into a depression."
Political and economic observers have been publicly wondering for weeks if Trump is intentionally crashing the economy. Further fueling those fears, he ramped up his trade war on Wednesday by announcing a minimum 10% tariff for imports, with higher levies for dozens of countries. Although he claimed those steeper duties are "reciprocal," his math "horrified" economists and has been called "crazy."
Responding in a Thursday note titled, There Will Be Blood, head of global economic research Bruce Kasman and other experts at JPMorgan wrote that "if sustained, this year's ~22%-point tariff increase would be the largest U.S. tax hike since 1968."
"The effect of this tax hike is likely to be magnified—through retaliation, a slide in U.S. business sentiment, and supply chain disruptions," states the note, which came before China's announcement.
As Bloomberg reported:
Several Wall Street firms on Thursday warned of a U.S. recession, with some making it their base case, after... Trump announced major levies on goods imported from countries around the world. Other economists, including those at JPMorgan, said the hit could be big, though they are taking a wait-and-see approach before revising their projections.
The announcement rocked global financial markets, and the S&P 500 suffered its worst day since 2020. Trump, speaking on Air Force One on Thursday afternoon, said he was open to reducing tariffs if trading partners were able to offer something "phenomenal."
"We are not making immediate changes to our forecasts and want to see the initial implementation and negotiation process that takes hold," the JPMorgan note says. "However, we view the full implementation of announced policies as a substantial macroeconomic shock not currently incorporated in our forecasts. We thus emphasize that these policies, if sustained, would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year."
The team also pointed out that the United States is in potential danger no matter how other countries are ultimately impacted, calling a "scenario where rest of world muddles through a U.S. recession possible but less likely than global downturn."
As Common Dreams reported last week, in anticipation of Trump's tariff announcement, Goldman Sachs published a research note projecting that the odds of a recession in the next year are 35%, up from 20%.
Other financial industry research firms that have recently warned of a possible recession include Barclays, BofA Global Research, Deutsche Bank, RBC Capital Markets, and UBS Global Wealth Management, according to Reuters.
"This is a game-changer, not only for the U.S. economy, but for the global economy. Many countries will likely end up in a recession," Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings, said in a late Wednesday note about the levies. "You can throw most forecasts out the door, if this tariff rate stays on for an extended period of time."
Experts have made similar comments to the press in the wake of the president's Rose Garden remarks on Wednesday. Time on Friday shared some from Brian Bethune, a Boston College economics professor:
"[Consumers] are not even going to the grocery store and paying more for vegetables because there's none available from Mexico, or going to Whole Foods, for example, and finding the big sections of fresh fruit are being shut down. They haven't really felt the full impact [yet], and they're already saying something isn't right," Bethune says.
However, while some economists... are more cautious in their discussion about a possible recession, Bethune says it's "inevitable." The question, he says, is just how long until it happens and for how long will it occur? He sees Trump's admission of there being " some pain" on the horizon as only proof of the inevitability.
"At least they [the Trump administration] are not pretending that it's not disruptive, but they're basically soft-selling it, reflecting their ignorance about the way business operates," Bethune claims.
Also on Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest U.S. jobs data. Although the unemployment rate rose from 4.1% to 4.2% in March, the economy added 228,000 jobs, which was better than expected.
However, economists warn of what lies ahead. As University of Michican economics professor Betsey Stevenson put it, "Today's jobs report is like looking at your vacation photos after you had a horrible car crash on the way home."