goldfish21 wrote:
https://globalnews.ca/news/6772979/coronavirus-3m-n95-respirators-trump-canada/
From the link you give: "U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Minnesota-based company to produce and sell as many medical-grade masks as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it needs. He invoked the Defense Production Act in order to speed up the distribution of masks."
From Wiki: "The Act contains three major sections. The first authorizes the president to require businesses to accept and prioritize contracts for materials deemed necessary for national defense, regardless of a loss incurred on business (it is unclear what would occur if business refuses or is unable to complete request on time). "
It's an Act typically used in wartime to require manufacturers to either manufacture an existing product for the national defense of the U.S. or to retool and manufacture a product they don't normally make for national defense.
He's invoking the Defense Production Act in relation to 3M (a U.S. company) manufacturing the masks for use within the U.S. This is an entirely different situation than Trump simply asking a company under otherwise normal circumstances to not sell their product to a certain country.
So he's taking a step here to better ensure the safety of the American citizens and reduce the spread of the virus, which is exactly what everyone wants and exactly what he should be doing.