Trump: 100 ventilators ‘immediately’ being sent to Colorado

President Trump on Wednesday announced that 100 ventilators will “immediately” be sent to Colorado after Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) made a request for the medical equipment.

In a response to Gardner’s tweet announcing the approval of National Guard assistance in the state, Trump posted, “Will be immediately sending 100 Ventilators to Colorado at the request of Senator Gardner!”

Will be immediately sending 100 Ventilators to Colorado at the request of Senator Gardner! https://t.co/Nj4EPxfZl6

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020

Gardner announced Tuesday that Trump approved the National Guard assistance, which will permit the Colorado National Guard to be used for “state COVID-19 response efforts.”

The ventilators will come days after Gov. Jared Polis (D) told CNN that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) swooped in and took ventilators from a deal the state had made with a manufacturer. 

“Either be in or out,” Polis told CNN’s Don Lemon. “Either you’re buying them and you’re providing them to states and you’re letting us know what we’re going to get and when we’re going to get them. Or you stay out, and let us buy them.”

Before Polis spoke to CNN, the network had reported the state had ordered 500 ventilators but that the purchase was canceled after FEMA bought the supplies.

The Colorado governor’s press secretary, Conor Cahill, said Tuesday that Polis had been notified Colorado’s orders for ventilators will not be granted in the coming weeks.

“Domestic ventilator manufacturers have informed the Governor that the orders of Colorado and other states will not be fulfilled any time soon because FEMA is jumping the line and demanding all the product,” Cahill said.

A total of 5,429 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Colorado, with 179 deaths, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Tuesday data.