Trump slams Maryland governor for buying S. Korean coronavirus tests despite plenty of US supplies

President Trump on Monday slammed Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland for buying foreign supplies for coronavirus testing when roughly 5,000 coronavirus testing facilities are available nationwide.

Hogan, a vocal critic of Trump, earlier in the day announced he was acquiring "supplies from LabGenomics, a South Korean company, (that) will enable the state to administer 500,000 tests, according to the Hogan administration. The tests cost the state $9 million," The Baltimore Sun reported today. 

"He could have saved a lot of money, but that's OK," Trump said during a late-afternoon press conference for the White House Coronavirus Task Force. "No, I don't think he needed to go to South Korea. I think he needed to get a little knowledge would have been helpful."

Trump said Vice President Mike Pence today hosted a call earlier Monday with all 50 governors.

“Prior to the call, we provided a list with the names, addresses and phone numbers of the labs where they can find additional testing capacity within their states," Trump said. "Many, many labs were provided ... Hundreds and hundreds are ready, willing and able. Some of the governors, like as an example, the governor from Maryland, didn’t really understand the list. He didn’t understand too much about what was going on. So now, I think he’ll be able to do that. It’s pretty simple. But (they labs) have tremendous capacity. And we hope to be able to help him out. We’ll work with him, and we’ll work with all of the governors."

Pence said Hogan misunderstood that Department of Defense facilities and other federal facilities, many of which are in Maryland, have laboratories and machines available for testing.

"I was able to assure Governor Hogan, and every other governor on the call, that we will make all of those laboratories available, across the country to every state, as the need for testing capacity continues to scale," Pence said.

Trump said governors are also misunderstanding their testing needs and abilities the same way that they over-estimated their need for ventilators to treat the coronavirus. He particularly singled out Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker as one the governors failing to understand how to access coronavirus testing resources in his state.

"Similar to the situation with ventilators, states need to asses their complete inventory of available capacity," Trump continued. "Some states have far more capacity than they actually understand. And it is a complex subject, but some of the governors didn’t understand. The governor, as an example, Pritzker, from Illinois, did not understand his capacity. Not simply ask the federal government to provide unlimited support. I mean you have to take the support where you have it. But we are there to stand with the governors and to help the governors, and that’s what we’re doing. and they have a tremendous capacity that we’ve already built up."

Trump praised New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat for his work, saying he was doing a “terrific job."

Trump also cited comments from New York Gov. Mario Cuomo who on Monday said:  "The president is right, the states’ testing is up to the states, which will implement the tests and logistically coordinate the tests. For example, in this state, I should make the determinations as to what labs participate in testing. We have about 300 labs in New York, it’s my job to coordinate those 300 labs, which ones should do this, which ones should not. How do I decide what lab works where? They’re regulated by the states, these labs. So, how many labs do I have work in Suffolk? How many labs do I have work in Nassau? How many do I have work in Buffalo? How many tests can I get done in total? How do I allocate those tests? How many antibody tests-- different type of test-- antibody tests, can I get from those labs? How do I allocate the antibody tests? That’s all within the state purview. So, I think the President is right when he says the states should lead.”

Trump is scheduled to meet Cuomo on Tuesday in Washington at the White House.

"They're really getting it together in New York, a lot of good things are happening in New York," Trump said. "He's coming to the Oval Office tomorrow afternoon, Andrew's going to be coming in with some of his people. so we look forward to that."