Stefanik: Trump doing good job dealing with COVID crisis

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWNY) - North country congresswoman Elise Stefanik said Monday that President Trump is doing a good job, when it comes to dealing with COVID-19.

Stefanik’s comments came as two new polls showed broad disapproval of the president’s handling of the crisis.

Asked if she thinks President Trump is doing a good job when it comes to the coronavirus, Stefanik said “You know, I do. I think that he has delegated it to the local level.

“I think our county public health officials have gotten the support they need from CDC (Centers For Disease Control) in terms of the information flow, they’ve gotten funding for PPE, (personal protective equipment) for testing.

“Our small businesses have gotten the funding they’ve needed, Individuals have gotten access to stimulus checks and our hospitals have gotten direct funds.”

A poll from Qunnipiac University Wednesday showed 62 percent of registered voters said President Trump is hurting efforts to slow the spread of the virus, compared to 31 percent who said he’s helping.

An ABC News/IPSOS poll last week showed 67 percent of the public disapproving of the president’s efforts to deal with the pandemic.

Stefanik was in Watertown Thursday to meet with staff members at Samaritan Medical Center, about a week after she secured another $2.5 million in federal funding for the hospital.

NBC News reported Wednesday that months after the coronoavirus crisis began, “the federal government may not have the capacity to supply medical professionals with personal protective equipment...”

Stefanik said Thursday that continuing problems getting enough PPE “has shined a megawatt spotlight that we should not be dependent on China for manufacturing.

“So for example, some of these masks that are needed, many of them are manufactured in the U.K. The U.K. is facing their own health crisis, so we need to ensure we have the manufacturing capabilities here.”

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