President Trump thanked Rachel Maddow on Friday for her interview with Lieutenant General Todd Semonite, chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In a tweet, Trump gave rare thanks to the MSNBC host for highlighting the important work being carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services.
General Semonite spoke about the Corps' current work in assisting the federal government in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government is assisting state and local governments in preparing for the peak of coronavirus cases in their individual areas.
General Semonite said the Corps is helping to modify existing facilities -- such as hotels, convention centers, college dorms, and sports arenas -- to meet the needs of the medical community in treating patients with COVID-19. The general said the Corps is currently assessing 103 different places in 50 states and eight territories to meet the increased demand for hospital beds.
Maddow said it was an honor to have General Semonite on her program and thanked the general for the Corps' swift action in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It inspires confidence, sir" Rachel Maddow said. "Good luck with your work."
"Thank you to Rachel for putting our Military on full display, and showing how GREAT a job the Federal Government is doing," Trump tweeted on Friday.
Thank you to Rachel @Maddow for putting our Military on full display, and showing how GREAT a job the Federal Government is doing! Also, a special thanks to General Semonite, a Patriot of the highest order and a truly talented engineer and builder! pic.twitter.com/JRQlNpLbxv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
Pandemics make for strange bedfellows.