Trump tweets he's invoking Defense Production Act, Ford, GM to start making ventilators

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act, which authorizes the executive to marshal private companies to aid in a national effort.

In a tweet posted Friday morning, Trump indicated Ford and General Motors would bolster production of badly-needed medical equipment.

"General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plant, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!!  FORD, GET GOING ON VENTILATORS, FAST!!!!!!"

More than a week ago, Trump signed the act, however, he hasn't indicated until now that he would be enforcing the rules of the law.

Ford and GM have already begun studying the feasibility of how it could ramp up production of equipment like ventilators and respirators, indicating in talks with the White House last week that they would consider pooling resources with other producers to aid the nation-wide effort against the coronavirus.

Ford has already begun producing face shields for doctors and nurses working in hospitals.