Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis made an appearance in his hometown's local public service announcement to offer words of encouragement and to ask people to help support small businesses during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on behalf of the Tri-Cities in Washington state, the retired Marine Corps general said to order takeout from local restaurants to help keep businesses alive.
"We're gonna get through this coronavirus. We're gonna get through it by listening to our public health officials and let's all make sure we're all supporting our businesses. They're still open for business even if it is carry out from your favorite restaurant. So, let's all pull together, but stay apart, while we pull together and keep our businesses alive," Mattis says in the video.
Hailing Washington, he returned to his hometown of Richland after submitting his letter of resignation to President Trump in 2018 over disagreements about withdrawing all U.S. forces from Syria. He originally planned on staying until the end of February 2019, but Trump forced him out at the beginning of the new year.
Washington State was one of the first states to be hit hard by COVID-19, which began in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The state has over 4,500 cases of the virus, with King County, where Seattle is located, being one of the state's hotspots.
I had a good conversation with @VP Pence this morning.
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 30, 2020
I reiterated our need for ventilators, PPE, personnel and hospital capacity, and appreciate the positive working relationship we have maintained with our federal partners.
The vice president said he would get back to us.