Coronavirus News: 'King Of Ventilators' Trump Pats Himself On The Back As US Sending Devices To Other Countries

United States officials are currently working on a plan to donate ventilators to a series of African countries hit by the novel coronavirus.

These donation efforts come following President Donald Trump's recent comments boasting of being the "king of ventilators" following the U.S.'s increased production of the life-saving machines. This move would be a marked change from Trump's previous lukewarm efforts to offer foreign aid as the pandemic continued to rage on.

In the past month, Trump cut off funding to the World Health Organization and cracked down on exporting masks, globes, gowns, other forms of personal protective equipment, and other various types of in-demand items that are sorely needed in other areas suffering from the coronavirus outbreak.

Still, the burgeoning plan has been confirmed by officials in the Trump administration, though it has prompted a response from additional U.S. officials who are concerned this is not a prudent way forward when it comes to being strategic about the response to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"There’s a need for ventilators, but there’s also a need for a systemic response," said Gayle Smith, who currently heads the ONE Campaign, a non-profit organization that fights poverty and preventable diseases, and previously worked under the Obama administration. "You need a functioning supply chain that is providing what’s needed, where it’s needed, when it’s needed."

Trump has a record of bragging about the rise in production of ventilators by the U.S., thanks to hardworking companies in the country who have made major changes to their operations to meet demands.

"Last year, America manufactured, from a dead start, 30,000 ventilators. And this year, the number will be over 150,000 ventilators," Trump said in a recent conference. "It could be as high as 200,000 — far more than we’ll ever need." He also noted he would send ventilators in excess to countries like Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Iran, if necessary.

The plan is not set in stone just yet, and the National Security Council, who Trump would be working with to bring it all together, has declined to comment on the matter, noting that they "don’t comment on or verify rumors of internal deliberations at the NSC."