Gov. Larry Hogan: MD National Guard Protecting Test Kits From Feds At 'Undisclosed Location'

By Aliza Worthington — May 1, 2020

Washington Post reporter Robert Costa interviewed Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan (R) about all aspects of how COVID-19 is impacting the state, and some of Gov. Hogan's statements were, frankly, astonishing.

He discussed the details of procuring 5,000 test kits (which will yield 500,000 tests) from South Korea — in and of itself a tremendous accomplishment at a time when tests remain hot property. Rather than having the plane land at Dulles Airport in Virginia, he had to maneuver the logistics so that it could land at BWI Airport in Maryland, marking the first time ever a Korean Air flight has landed at that airport.

Why all the machinations for something he had legally procured? After all, didn't Trump say the states were on their own in finding the supplies they needed? So as to avoid the complication of crossing state lines, one can conclude... and also because — get this — the flight was met by the Maryland National Guard and Maryland State Police to protect the test kits.

GOV. HOGAN: We landed it there with a large contingent of Maryland National Guard and Maryland State Police, because this was an enormously valuable payload. It was like Fort Knox to us, because it was going to save the lives of thousands of our citizens. And there had been, for example, reports from Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker told the story of his planeload that came in with masks was basically confiscated by the federal government, and he then had to get Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots to fly a second mission with a private plane to try to bring some of that equipment in, or a couple of other states that had similar stories, so we just wanted to make sure, that was just so important to us that that plane took off from Korea safely, landed here in America safely, and that we guarded that cargo from whoever might interfere with us getting that to folks who need it.

Can you imagine this situation states are in? Trump says states are on their own. States go through hell and high water to procure the supplies their citizens need. Then Trump says, "Nope, sorry! MINE!" AND CONFISCATES IT.

And to prevent that from happening, a governor had to maneuver through eight agencies, two embassies, and employ the National Guard and the State Police to protect these supplies from his own president!

Robert Costa asked if these tests are still being protected by the Maryland National Guard. Gov. Hogan's answer? You bet your ass.

GOV. HOGAN: They are. The National Guard and the State Police are both guarding these tests at an undisclosed location.

This world. This world.

Watch the video below.

Maryland @GovLarryHogan on whether he was concerned that the federal government would seize the tests the state procured from South Korea. He says the tests are being guarded by the National Guard at an undisclosed location. https://t.co/uGcUi6U5rL pic.twitter.com/15BhHmLzql

— Washington Post Live (@postlive) April 30, 2020

And Hogan's full remarks.

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