Well, what do you know. Barely months after Nasty Nancy Pelosi said Trump was a threat to national security, she's eating crow and begging the president to take on emergency powers intended for presidents at war.
On Thursday Pelosi issued the plea to president Trump, imploring him to invoke the Defense Production Act and assume dictatorial powers in the United States.
Here's what Pelosi said:
Right now, shortages of critical medical and personal protective equipment are harming our ability to fight the coronavirus epidemic, endangering front-line workers and making it harder to care for those who fall ill. The president must immediately use the powers of the Defense Production Act to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies, before the situation worsens and the shortages become even more dire. There is not a day to lose. We must put more testing, more production equipment and more ventilators into the hands of our frontline workers immediately.
The Defense Production Act was written during the Cold War in anticipation of major conflicts, and it gives the president an incredible amount of power. It essentially would give Trump the authority to impose a wartime command economy.
ABC News further explains the powers the act would give to the president:
The executive branch, under this law, can essentially dictate industry production and force companies to sign contracts telling them how to allocate materials. The president can also impose wage and price controls, settle labor disputes and control consumer and real estate credit, among other authorities given by the law.
Pelosi's demand comes as the coronavirus has exposed supply chain weaknesses across the U.S., including a shortage of masks, sanitizers, and other medical goods.
Judging by Pelosi's words and pleading for Trump's immediate action, she appears to have full faith in the president's responsible use of authority.
Her begging is quite the contrast compared to just a few months ago before the coronavirus appeared on the scene.
It wasn't long ago when she said, "It is a matter of fact that the president is an ongoing threat to our national security, and the integrity of our elections — the basis of our democracy.”
Either Pelosi had a serious change of heart, or perhaps she never actually believed Trump was a threat to national security.
Which is it, Nancy?