Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is the latest Trump critic to offer praise for the president’s response to the Wuhan coronavirus, calling it “incredible and the right response in this critical time.”
The Minnesota progressive was responding to a tweet from The Intercept’s Lee Fang about all the measures the Trump administration has taken to help Americans through this crisis:
“Trump suspending mortgage foreclosures, demanding cash payments to Americans, now invoking the Defense Production Act to force private firms to produce needed supplies is incredible,” Fang tweeted. “Kind of a shell shock for anyone who reported on any economic policies in the Obama years.”
Omar went on to agree with Rep. Ayanna Pressley that “unprecedented times require unprecedented leadership,” which she said is happening right now. “I have faith that we will survive this as a nation and build together.”
.@AyannaPressley always says, unprecedented times require unprecedented leadership and we are seeing that in our country right now. I have faith that we will survive this as a nation and build together.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 19, 2020
She called the measures Fang cited “a great start” and hoped a spirit of unity will continue to “help us work through the economic anxiety the country is feeling right now.”
Finally, we should never let politics get in the way of good policy. This is a great start and hope others will be part of a united front to push for good policies that will help us work through the economic anxiety the country is feeling right now.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 19, 2020
Omar is not the first critic of the president who has praised the work he’s doing to manage this pandemic.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump told him “everything I could have hoped for” on the cruise ship response in the state, and that “every single thing he said, they followed through on.”
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also told reporters that Trump’s “team is on it."
"They’ve been responsive," he added. "I want to say thank you.”
CNN's Dana Bash, meanwhile, commented that Trump “is being the kind of leader that people need.”