Chris Cuomo slams Trump for dismissing nurse who says she reuses PPE
On Wednesday night, Chris Cuomo fired back at President Trump for seeming to dismiss a nurse who relayed to him her experience dealing with the shortage of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. At an event at the White House earlier in the day meant to honor National Nurses Day, Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, told Trump that the availability of PPE for her and colleagues around the country has been sporadic, and that she’s used the same N-95 mask for weeks.
Video Transcript
CHRIS CUOMO: He better cross his arms in a defensive posture. First of all, how dare he do that to that nurse and put her on the spot. What is she supposed to say-- disagree with him? She's reusing her N-95 mask. One should be enough.
- On Wednesday night, Chris Cuomo ripped President Trump for contradicting a nurse earlier in the day, who expressed to the president that hospitals around the country do not have enough personal protective equipment to properly deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
SOPHIA THOMAS: I think it's sporadic, as I talked to my colleagues around the country. Certainly there are pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal. I've been reusing my N-95 mask for a few weeks now.
DONALD TRUMP: Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people.
SOPHIA THOMAS: Oh, no. I agree, Mr. President.
DONALD TRUMP: Because I've heard the opposite. I heard that they are loaded up.
- And as the need for personal protective equipment continues, Cuomo pointed out what health care workers around the country already know, while at the same time questioning why Trump refuses to accept the reality.
CHRIS CUOMO: In pockets all over this country, they don't have what they need. And for a guy who believes his fate is tied to making this pandemic end, let me ask you. Why does he keep denying what it will take to make it go away? Why does he hide from the needs instead of providing them? We need the reality.
