Gov. Evers, Midwest Allies Blast Trump Over Alleged Putin COVID Test Shipments

MADISON, Wis. (Civic Media) – Gov. Tony Evers joined his counterparts from Illinois and Michigan in demanding answers from former President Donald Trump regarding reports that he provided COVID-19 testing kits to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the pandemic.

In a joint statement released Friday, Evers, along with Governors J.B. Pritzker and Gretchen Whitmer, expressed outrage over the alleged actions, which they claim occurred while their states struggled to obtain critical medical supplies.

“We were engaged in a 24/7 effort to obtain critical medical supplies for our people,” the governors said. “It was a terrifying time, and the federal government abandoned us to fend for ourselves.”

The governors’ statement is in response to recent reports detailing Trump’s alleged secret provision of COVID-19 testing equipment to Putin for personal use during a time of shortages in the United States.

CNN reported this morning that The Kremlin has confirmed Trump provided Russia with COVID-19 test samples during the early stages of the pandemic. The news was initially reported in journalist Bob Woodward’s new book.

While CNN reporting says Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged receiving test kits from the Trump administration, he did not specify whether they were intended for Putin’s personal use, as Woodward claimed. 

The confirmation comes despite Trump’s denial of the allegations in a recent ABC News interview.