The Great Ventilator Swap

State Governors and the White House through the National Ventilator Stockpile are shipping hundreds of ventilators across the country and back again in order to prepare to save potential lives. Learn about this complex system to rush potentially desperately needed ventilators from state-to-state and even remote territories and foreign nations. Because:
"We're all in this together!"

State Governors and the White House are virtue signaling to show that "We're all in this together" by shhippng ventilators around the states and beyond. California assessed it might be short of ventilator supply early on, and requested more. When 170 arrived from the National Ventilator Stockpile sent by President Trump, CA Governor Gavin Newsome claimed some were broken, and had to be repaired. In Illinois, Governor Pritzker (J) claimed he was "competing" with other states, the Federal government and other countries to purchase expensive ventilators. In New York State, Governor Cuomo also complained that competition is driving up ventilator prices, since "all 50 states, plus the federal government, are trying to acquire ventilators." The President quickly responded to Pritzker and sent 300 ventilators to Illinois, but has been dismissive of Cuomo and New York, refusing ventilators. That's when Oregon and Washington came to the rescue of New York, since mean old Trump would not. Oregon Governor Kate Brown sent ventilators to New York, and Washtington Governor Inslee returned over 400 ventilators to the National Stockpile so they could go to New York. California, perhaps having repaired some of the broken ones, returned some to the National Stockpile to help New York. California's ventilators in the National Stockpile were sent to Nevada, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Colorado ordered 500 ventilators, but they were seized by FEMA instead. Trump, artist of the deal, negotiated with FEMA and eked out 100 to Colorado. Cuomo had to finally admit New York had thousands of unused ventilators in storage. Governor Cuomo went on to send ventilators to Michigan and Maryland. Outcry arose when President Trump suggested sending ventilators to Europe. He'd already sent ventilaltors to China, with minimal outcry. Turns out Chinese businessmen sent ventilators to New York.