Amid increasing speculation that New York will be quarantined to stop people from departing the metropolitan area, President Trump answers journalist questions from joint base Andrews prior to departure. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – Q Thank you, Mr. President. Just a quick clarification on the total quarantine you’re talking about for New York City. Would you —

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re looking at it. We’re looking at it, and we’ll be making a decision. A lot of the states that aren’t infected, that don’t have a big problem, they’ve asked me if I’d look at it. So we’re going to look at it. And it will be for a short period of time, if we do it at all.

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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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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Many people suspected this would eventually happen, including us.  Follow the sequencing here; watch the natural progression of the authoritarian state. This is important.

First LA Mayor Eric Garcetti released 1,700 inmates.  Then the LA Sheriff tried to shut down all gun stores. Next, Garcetti appointed neighborhood monitors and threatened to shut down electricity and water services to non-compliant citizens.  In his most recent action, the mayor admits to using Big Tech to monitor the location of residents and track their coronavirus compliance.

During an interview with Chris Cuomo [segment @14:19 to 14:28] Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti discussing the ‘stay-at-home’ order says (emphasis mine):

…”but this has been marvelously embraced by 99.9 percent of people; we see it in the traffic data, we see it in the cell phone data; but we’re going to hunt down that last point-one percent and say: ‘you’ve gotta get inside, you gotta cut it out, and you gotta distance”…

Notice how flippant and easily the totalitarian language rolls from the tongue?

Comrade citizens, we have been warning everyone about the use of their hand-held transponder (cell phone) during national and local emergencies.  As the state attempts to enforce its dictates, the totalitarians will increasingly use their allies in Big Tech to enforce the rules.  Here’s the video:

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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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On Thursday night hundreds of people in cars surrounded Cartersville Medical Center in Georgia to pray for the sick patients who are suffering from the Corona virus, and for all the medical personnel who fight for their lives. Camden McGill organized the event, called the Circle of Prayer.

Staff members watched from the rooftop and the lawn, and those patients who were able could see the cars from their windows.

The Fox 5 article says Cartersville was one of the first hospitals to treat a Corona patient, and the Georgia town has been particularly hard hit. Check the link for details and video.

As of today, Georgia reports 98 cases in Bartow county, where Cartersville is located, 2001 cases for the state, and 64 deaths statewide.