Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  While departing the White House for Virginia, President Trump stopped to answer quick questions from the media.

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[Transcript] – Q Mr. President, do you think the Easter timeline is off the table now, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re going to see what happens. We want to get our country back to work. The doctors, nurses, first responders — everybody doing a phenomenal job, like beyond good.

I’m going to — as you know, the Comfort — the great ship, Comfort — is stocked up to the gills. It’s right up to the top. And we’re going over there. I guess some of you are coming with me. But we’re going to send that up to New York four weeks ahead of schedule. And it is loaded up with everything. So that’s great.

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Oh, this is almost too much winning.  Almost…  President Trump has appointed White House Manufacturing Advisor Peter Navarro to lead all U.S. coordination of the Defense Production Act.   Just like that… presto… Navarro becomes a bazillion times more powerful than CoC President Tom Donohue.   Delicious.

WASHNGTON – President Trump announced Friday he is appointing his trade adviser Peter Navarro to serve as his national Defense Production Act policy coordinator after using the act to force General Motors to begin making ventilators to treat coronavirus patients.

“He’s a tremendous guy and he will do a fantastic job,” the president said during a press briefing with his coronavirus taskforce at the White House. He said Navarro will serve as the national Defense Production Act coordinator for the federal government. (link)

Peter Navarro has been a long-term China hawk warning about the risk of U.S. multinationals doing critical supply-chain manufacturing overseas.  Navarro, working closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, has been the tip of the spear in the execution of America First policy and jobs.

This appointment, and these additional responsibilities, is a recognition for his efforts.

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Earlier today President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in the oval office.  [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all very much. This is a very important day. I’ll sign the single-biggest economic relief package in American history and, I must say, or any other package, by the way. It’s twice as large as any relief ever signed. It’s $2.2 billion, but it actually goes up to 6.2 — potentially — billion dollars — trillion dollars. So you’re talking about 6.2 trillion-dollar bill. Nothing like that. And this will deliver urgently needed relief to our nation’s families, workers, and businesses. And that’s what this is all about.

And it got a 96 to nothing. And, I don’t know, what was the number in Congress?

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Democrats and resistance media writ large have been demanding that President Trump invoke the Defense Production Act to force companies to make equipment for the fight against the coronavirus.   Until today, most companies voluntarily adjusted their manufacturing systems and networks to assist; so forced compliance was not needed.

However, General Motors now states an inability to meet their prior commitments for the manufacture of ventilators:

Now it really gets interesting… The CEO of GM is Mary Barra, considered a hero amid the political circles of democrats; and considered a potential pick for vice-president on a Democrat ticket.  Despite her generally weak leadership, democrats adore her resistance bona-fides.

The axiom: “be careful what you wish for” applies big time, because President Trump has just triggered the Defense Production Act to force General Motors to comply with their initial promise.  By playing games, again; CEO Mary Barra put herself in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.

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The White House COVID-19 task force briefing is being held today at approximately 5:00pm to 5:30pm ET.  Livestream Links Below:

White House Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream – Fox Business Livestream

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin calls-in to Maria Bartiromo to discuss some of the details within the coronavirus relief bill, including the ‘when’ and ‘how’ funds will be distributed.

On the business side Secretary Mnuchin is standing up a new funding mechanism for small businesses within the Small Business Administration (SBA).  The treasury is using the architecture of the ¹FDIC to be the point of contact for businesses who need short-term bridge funds to help carry them.  On the worker side the direct payments to middle-class workers should arrive in two to three weeks.  Excellent Interview:

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¹That is really smart.  All FDIC insured lenders can operate as point of contact lenders for small businesses that need emergency funding.  That means instead of navigating the matrix of big government, a business owner can just go to their local bank and get the funds.  The FDIC, already in a relationship with the bank, back-stops the funding while treasury underwrites the lending (a loan without payback).  Brilliant approach.

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer from the Michigan Directorate has threatened to turn the eye of the state upon any doctor or pharmacist who would attempt to prescribe chloroquine to treat their patients suffering from coronavirus.  Medical licenses may need to be revoked.

The agency’s March 24 letter warns physicians and pharmacists of professional consequences for the prescribing of hydroxychloroquine (and chloroquine). Beyond the rational recommendation against hoarding, the letter includes threats of “administrative action” against the licenses of doctors that prescribe hydroxychloroquine.

MICHIGAN – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs warns that prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 ‘without further proof of efficacy’ may be investigated for administrative action; reaction from Dr. Jeff Colyer, former Kansas governor. (video)

It should be remembered that comrade Whitmer was selected by the party apparatchik to deliver the State of the Union rebuttal on behalf of the DNC’s totalitarian interests.  Heir Whitmer’s foreboding warnings are in the interest of the State comrades.

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President Trump called-in to Fox News host Sean Hannity for an extensive interview on the latest coronavirus developments.  Full interview below:

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Apparently democrat governors are discovering that border security might be important after all…. at least when it comes to quarantining pesky undesirables.  Hypocrisy, thy name is:

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Yes America, Democrat governors are now placing their national guard troops at the borders to question travelers about their origination… “papers please.”

[Rhode Island] – Governor Gina Raimondo announced. Starting immediately, anyone coming into the state from New York state will be mandated to self-quarantine for 14 days, the governor said.

“No matter how you come to Rhode Island – bus, car, train, plane – you are ordered to quarantine for 14 days,” Raimondo said. “In my judgement this is the most prudent form of action in light of the crisis.”

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President Donald Trump sent the following letter [pdf here] to our nations’ governors in response to the national COVID-19 crisis:

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