If Your State Needs Help With Coronavirus From Trump, Don't Be a Strong Woman Governor
Malaika Jabali
April 8 2020, 7:00 a.m.
Donald Trump’s recent row with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shows how little he has changed since his 2016 run for the office: The president is still willing to put his misogynist squabbling ahead of the needs of the American people in crisis — elevating himself and perceived slights from women above the well-being of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Trump went so far as to suggest Whitmer’s comments could affect whether he declares a state of emergency in Michigan, making the state eligible for federal aid. After that, Trump reverted to elementary school insults, calling the Michigan governor “Half” Whitmer and admitting that he would not so much as make phone calls to governors he perceived as not treating him well.
Michigan has over 17,000 coronavirus cases, the third highest in the country. Over 700 people have died in the state. Emerging demographic data shows Michigan among the states with alarmingly disproportionate rates of positive cases and deaths among black Americans — making existing racial disparities more explicit. Despite comprising only 14 percent of the state’s population, black Americans make up at least 41 percent of coronavirus deaths and 33 percent of positive coronavirus cases. The number of cases in Detroit alone, a city that is 79 percent black, is expected to rise to 31,360 by April 27.
Addressing Trump on Twitter, Whitmer said, “I’ve asked repeatedly and respectfully for help.” This help included her 25-page letter to Trump requesting he approve a major disaster declaration for Michigan and outlining needed aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. “We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits. You said you stand with Michigan — prove it,” she tweeted.
https://theintercept.com/2020/04/08/coronavirus-trump-whitmer-michigan/
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