Trump lashes out at GM, Ford over ventilators

[mystery-ak]

Trump lashes out at GM, Ford over ventilators
By Brett Samuels - 03/27/20 11:53 AM EDT


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President Trump on Friday lashed out at General Motors and Ford, demanding via tweet that the two major automakers begin churning out ventilators to be used to treat patients with the coronavirus.

Trump issued a sequence of tweets that spurred confusion about his use of the Defense Production Act and muddled his messaging on the need for the breathing machines one day after he questioned whether states were overestimating how many they would need in the coming months.

"General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plant, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!! FORD, GET GOING ON VENTILATORS, FAST!!!!!!" Trump tweeted, referring to a shuttered GM plant that the company sold late last year.


The president in a separate tweet appeared to confirm a New York Times report that the government and GM negotiated a deal that would lead to the production of up to 80,000 ventilators but that it was scrapped due to a price tag of more than $1 billion.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/489849-trump-lashes-out-at-gm-ford-over-ventilators

[catfish1957]

Been mostly a defender of POTUS of late, but this is totally out of line.  I worked at manufacturing plants for 40 years, and know that retrofits and product slate changes, require much design, engineering, construction, QC etc.  ESPECIALLY for a medical application.  This shit doesn't appear overnight.  It just doesn't happen on the fly.

Chill Donald....., and let people do their jobs.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Time to cut the adderall dose with some xanex.

[bilo]

Been mostly a defender of POTUS of late, but this is totally out of line.  I worked at manufacturing plants for 40 years, and know that retrofits and product slate changes, require much design, engineering, construction, QC etc.  ESPECIALLY for a medical application.  This shit doesn't appear overnight.  It just doesn't happen on the fly.

Chill Donald....., and let people do their jobs.

Then why did GM tell the POTUS they would supply the ventilators?

I hope Trump nails them to the wall.

[Neverdul]

Been mostly a defender of POTUS of late, but this is totally out of line.  I worked at manufacturing plants for 40 years, and know that retrofits and product slate changes, require much design, engineering, construction, QC etc.  ESPECIALLY for a medical application.  This shit doesn't appear overnight.  It just doesn't happen on the fly.

Chill Donald....., and let people do their jobs.

 

[catfish1957]

Then why did GM tell the POTUS they would supply the ventilators?

I hope Trump nails them to the wall.

I know exactly why....  It's one thing to say that you will provide them as they have stated, and I beleive.    It's another when the POTUS thinks they can be created with a magic wand. 

Did you even read what I said what it takes to make huge changes at a manufacturing site?

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I know exactly why....  It's one thing to say that you will provide them as they have stated, and I beleive.    It's another when the POTUS thinks they can be created with a magic wand. 

Did you even read what I said what it takes to make huge changes at a manufacturing site?

I read it @catfish1957 

[Applewood]

Been mostly a defender of POTUS of late, but this is totally out of line.  I worked at manufacturing plants for 40 years, and know that retrofits and product slate changes, require much design, engineering, construction, QC etc.  ESPECIALLY for a medical application.  This shit doesn't appear overnight.  It just doesn't happen on the fly.

Chill Donald....., and let people do their jobs.

I agree.  During WW II, the factory where my Mom worked was converted to making war materials and I think she said at the time, the conversion took months. 

[andy58-in-nh]

Time to cut the adderall dose with some xanex.

 

Some people really do need to get more sleep. And also, think before they speak or tweet.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1243557418556162050

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
As usual with “this” General Motors, things just never seem to work out. They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, “very quickly”. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke “P”.
10:16 AM · Mar 27, 2020

Anybody speak Trumpanese?

[roamer_1]

Been mostly a defender of POTUS of late, but this is totally out of line.  I worked at manufacturing plants for 40 years, and know that retrofits and product slate changes, require much design, engineering, construction, QC etc.  ESPECIALLY for a medical application.  This shit doesn't appear overnight.  It just doesn't happen on the fly.

Chill Donald....., and let people do their jobs.

I said much the same on another thread.. Heavy industry is too calcified to change quickly.
But YES, it can be done on the fly. By small business.

[mystery-ak]

Trump uses Defense Production Act to require GM to make ventilators
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/489909-trump-uses-defense-production-act-to-require-gm-to-make-ventilators

[Applewood]

Stupid.

[Neverdul]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1243557418556162050

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
As usual with “this” General Motors, things just never seem to work out. They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, “very quickly”. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke “P”.
10:16 AM · Mar 27, 2020

Anybody speak Trumpanese?

Wait. What? I thought Trump told Hannity last night that we didn't need that many ventilators?

[roamer_1]

Trump uses Defense Production Act to require GM to make ventilators
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/489909-trump-uses-defense-production-act-to-require-gm-to-make-ventilators

Won't change a dang thing. GM is too dang big to move that fast.
If you want a million of something and have a quarter year to gear up, that is what heavy industry does.

It literally cannot do 10,000 in 3 weeks. They ain't made that way. They don't know how.

Again, predictable castle mentality.
If you want Jumpin Jack Flash, don't go looking in the castle districts.
He don't live there.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Trump uses Defense Production Act to require GM to make ventilators
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/489909-trump-uses-defense-production-act-to-require-gm-to-make-ventilators

Today

"GM was wasting time," the president asserted. "Today’s action will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives."

Yesterday

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/26/president-trump-says-we-dont-need-the-defense-production-act-as-states-struggle-with-supply-shortages/#3bb83b625e55

Trump defended his decision to avoid using the act by saying companies like General Motors, Ford Motors and 3M have already stepped up to begin developing supplies. "Frankly they don't need someone to walk over there with a hammer and say do it," he said. Proponents of using the act argue it would help with needed coordination to get the supplies to states.

How many personalities does our President have?

[PeteS in CA]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/trump-criticizes-gm-ceo-mary-barra-for-wanting-top-dollar-for-ventilators.html

Trump criticizes GM, CEO Mary Barra for wanting ‘top dollar’ for producing ventilators
PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 27 202011:38 AM EDT UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

President Donald Trump criticized General Motors and CEO Mary Barra on Friday for their response to producing life-saving ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic and wanting “top dollar” for doing so.

“As usual with ‘this’ General Motors, things just never seem to work out,” Trump tweeted. “They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, ‘very quickly’. Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke ‘P’.”

Sounds like some over-promising on quantity and under-promising on price are key contexts to the "lashing out".

[Smokin Joe]

Won't change a dang thing. GM is too dang big to move that fast.
If you want a million of something and have a quarter year to gear up, that is what heavy industry does.

It literally cannot do 10,000 in 3 weeks. They ain't made that way. They don't know how.

Again, predictable castle mentality.
If you want Jumpin Jack Flash, don't go looking in the castle districts.
He don't live there.

Some flunky at the FDA would likely block their use until they had undergone months of rigorous testing before they got the Good Housekeeping Seal or whatever it is.

Kinda like the EPA did with all the oil skimmers during the Macundo Blowout.

[Applewood]

I thought Trump was a stable genius.  Hell, even I know these ventilators or respirators can't be produced that fast and I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. 

This is all about Trump preserving his tough guy image.  He's worried about his re-election chances, not about doing the right thing for the people he is supposed to lead.

[Smokin Joe]

I thought Trump was a stable genius.  Hell, even I know these ventilators or respirators can't be produced that fast and I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. 

This is all about Trump preserving his tough guy image.  He's worried about his re-election chances, not about doing the right thing for the people he is supposed to lead.

Well, after three years of shampeachment and now the quick segue to being the third rider of the apocalypse, yeah, I'd say the media have pretty consistently been threatening his reelection.

In spite of all that, he has done a lot of 'right things'.

[roamer_1]

Some flunky at the FDA would likely block their use until they had undergone months of rigorous testing before they got the Good Housekeeping Seal or whatever it is.

Kinda like the EPA did with all the oil skimmers during the Macundo Blowout.

That's right enough, but they won't even be able to re-gear a factory in anything approaching a useful time frame. @catfish1957 is stone-dead right.

It's the wrong system, the wrong way, with the wrong people. Again this is a logistics thing/ Seat-of-the-pants... Kick-it-in-the-a$$-and-make-its-lungs-work...

There ain't a board room in America that has ever done that.

[Smokin Joe]

That's right enough, but they won't even be able to re-gear a factory in anything approaching a useful time frame. @catfish1957 is stone-dead right.

It's the wrong system, the wrong way, with the wrong people. Again this is a logistics thing/ Seat-of-the-pants... Kick-it-in-the-a$$-and-make-its-lungs-work...

There ain't a board room in America that has ever done that.

Right. With the drop in oil prices, maybe approaching some smaller oilfield manufacturers who may not have so much to do, with a set of plans would get the job done quicker. (greater corporate agility, and some darned good machinists).

[Absalom]

Stand w/Trump on this:
* GM stepped up here; their arm was NOT twisted!!!
* Ventilators have already been invented and hardly require advanced science!!!
* The first thing produced by Barra was the bill, NOT a ventilator.

[roamer_1]

I thought Trump was a stable genius.  Hell, even I know these ventilators or respirators can't be produced that fast and I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. 

Yes they can. Just not in the castle. You need to go to the bazaar. Distributed network.

You need a prototype, a parts list, and no electronics. Let it out to light industry and small business, and start working on an assembly plant. Within two weeks you'll have parts pouring in.

[roamer_1]

Right. With the drop in oil prices, maybe approaching some smaller oilfield manufacturers who may not have so much to do, with a set of plans would get the job done quicker. (greater corporate agility, and some darned good machinists).

That's right. Light industry and small business. They are by nature, quick-change. They'll re-gear in a day or two to run small lots. That's how you get 10,000 [insert something here] in a week.