MASKS: this is why they are making such a big deal about mentioning masks:

[IcyPeas]

they were caught off guard the other day when asked how many masks/respirators they had:

(and the question was from one of their own: john kennedy)

KENNEDY: Do we have enough respirators?

WOLF: To my knowledge we do

K: We just heard testimony that we don't

W: Okay

K: You're supposed to keep us safe. You don't know the answer, do you?

W: You're asking me medical questions

K: The people deserve some straight answers

Link to tweet

[defacto7]

1. It wasn't a medical question, it was a supply question.

[Captain Zero]

2. Right. Something Chad should have been keeping tabs on

Since last year.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. I've said it in other threads.

From personal experience, China stopped exporting masks outside the country. I know, because I ordered from Amazon in mid January and learned in mid February that the shipment never left because China would not allow them. This is what the seller told me. Obviously, China was smart enough to know that they needed to protect their inventory.

And then, I tried to buy from the hardware stores. We usually buy in bulk because we used the masks for garden work and spray painting projects. The Lowes person told me that a Chinese man had purchased 30,000 of them so their inventory was low. At first I thought it was 30,000 masks. But it was probably 30,000 boxes.

So, yes, this Administration was incompetent in protecting our inventory.

[central scrutinizer]

4. Price gouging

I bet you can get some on eBay if you take a second mortgage