‘Tremendous Supply’: Trump Contradicts Nurse Who Said Protective Equipment Has ‘Been Sporadic’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday contradicted a nurse who said the supply of personal protective gear “has been sporadic” but “manageable,” claiming he has heard the U.S. has “a tremendous” stockpile. “We do what we have to do, we’re nurses, and we learn to adapt and do whatever the best thing we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided,” Sophia Thomas, president of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners, said during an Oval Office event in recognition of National Nurses Day. She also asserted that she has worn the same N95 mask for “a few weeks.”

“Sporadic for you but not sporadic for a lot of other people,” Trump replied. “Because I’ve heard the opposite, I’ve heard that they are loaded up with gowns now, initially we had nothing because it wasn’t put there by the last administration.” The president, who has been rushing to reopen the country even as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise, also asserted that “schools should open,” adding, “The one thing you should be careful of is when instructors are over 60, especially if they have a problem.”