BY TAL AXELROD

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) offered praise for President Trump’s efforts to help the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Newsom, who has frequently clashed with the White House, credited Trump’s intervention in getting a Navy ship to California and expanding federal resources in the Golden State, which has grappled with a significant outbreak. 

"We have the USNS Mercy in California because of [Trump's] direct intervention and support, 2,000 of these federal medical stations because of his direct support," Newsom said on CNN. "So I can only speak for myself, but I have to be complementary. Otherwise, I would be simply lying to you, misleading you, and that is a wonderful thing to be able to say, and I hope that continues."

California has more than 21,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 587 people in the state have died as of Friday evening. It has the fourth most cases of any state in the U.S., behind New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

However, the state has seen an improvement in the fight against the virus, with the number of patients in the ICU on Thursday dropping 1.9 percent from Wednesday, its first decrease in the figure thus far.

California is entering its fourth week of Newsom’s stay-at-home order, and the state has stockpiled more than 11,000 ventilators to try to combat the illness.

The governor and Trump have been frequent sparring partners since the president took office, most recently over California’s handling of wildfires late last year. However, Newsom said the fight against the coronavirus has united them. 

“We’re involved in 68 lawsuits with the Trump administration. I’ve been on your show. I haven’t been timid. He certainly hasn’t been timid. But I got to say this. It’s just a fact. I’d be lying to you. I’d be lying to the American people. Every single direct request that he was capable of meeting, he has met,” Newsom said. “This has been a remarkable moment where at least we have been able to rise above that partisanship.”

Source: https://thehill.com