The Trump administration changed a website to match Jared Kushner's questionable description of the federal stockpile

Jarod Kushner.
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Language on a government website regarding the Strategic National Stockpile has been altered following a claim by President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

Kushner during a White House briefing on Thursday claimed, as states seek help from the federal government in obtaining personal protective equipment and ventilators in the coronavirus pandemic, that "the notion of the federal stockpile was it's supposed to be our stockpile. It's not supposed to be states' stockpiles that they then use."

After his comments, it was quickly pointed out that a Department of Health and Human Services website, in fact, describes the Strategic National Stockpile as being "the nation's largest supply of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out," also saying that "when state, local, tribal, and territorial responders request federal assistance to support their response efforts, the stockpile ensures that the right medicines and supplies get to those who need them most during an emergency."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

But on Friday, The Washington Post reported that this description has since been altered and replaced with a new one more in line with what Kushner said. Now, the Strategic National Stockpile is described as a "short-term stopgap buffer" intended "to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies." The new description also says "many states have products stockpiled."

Kushner faced criticism for his Thursday claim, with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) tweeting, "This is just wrong." The Post's Aaron Blake described the assertion from Kushner as "an awfully bizarre claim," as "the very program that Kushner now suggests wasn't meant to be for states was clearly intended to be."

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.