As Michigan appears headed to become the next U.S. coronavirus pandemic hotspot, President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for the state.
Trump complained Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan's Democratic governor, as well as her counterpart in Washington, do not appreciate his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus epidemic, and said Vice President Mike Pence, head of the coronavirus task force should not take their calls.
Trump then admitted, Pence is taking calls from all governors – even those using the virus as an opportunity to attack the administration.
Michigan is now registering new cases at more than triple the national rate. The state had 3,657 cases as of Friday – versus zero just over two weeks ago – and now ranks sixth in the nation. At least 92 people have died.
Impoverished Detroit and surrounding Wayne County made up half the state total. Suburban Oakland County, home for thousands of white-collar auto jobs, had 23% of cases.
Other Midwestern cities posted sharp increases. Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, saw cases rise from 413 at the end of last week to more than 1,900 Friday, according to the University of Chicago. The county accounts for three-quarters of the state total. Outbreaks in Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee also accelerated. Cases in Nashville’s Davidson County quadrupled in a week, as did those in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.
President Trump approved disaster declarations for Michigan and Massachusetts on Friday. He has approved declarations for more than a dozen states, making them eligible for certain federal funding.
Whitmer sent a letter to Trump on Thursday seeking a major disaster declaration for Michigan, which along with other hotspots for the coronavirus has been struggling to cope with a surge in hospitalizations and a shortage of supplies and tests for the illness.
She challenged Trump to stand with the people of Michigan in a tweet Thursday night, after he criticized her handling of the coronavirus spread and said she relied too much on the federal government.
"I've asked repeatedly and respectfully for help. We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits. You said you stand with Michigan — prove it," Whitmer said.
Trump said on a Fox News interview earlier he has had a "big problem with the young, a woman governor" from Michigan.
"I mean, she's not stepping up. I don't know if she knows what's going on, but all she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesn't get it done, and we send her a lot," Trump said.
He demurred on whether he would approve the disaster declaration, saying "we'll have to make a decision on that."
There has been speculation Whitmer, 48, a rising Democratic Party star, could be picked as a vice presidential running mate by the eventual Democratic nominee to take on Trump for the White House in November's election.
She has deflected any discussion of a possible vice presidential selection. But the spat with Trump, along with her delivery of the Democratic response to his State of the Union address in February, has elevated her national profile.
Adding Whitmer to the Democratic ticket could help the party recapture Michigan in November. Trump's upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 was aided by his surprise victory in the state.
Information from Bloomberg is the basis for this report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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