Minnesota Governor criticizes national COVID-19 response 'if you could even call it that'

(FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz criticized the federal response to COVID-19 in a news conference Tuesday, saying the 50-state plan was insufficient and “ludicrous.”

The Governor spoke about the spread of COVID-19 in the states surrounding Minnesota as Minnesota’s positivity rates remained low weeks ago. He pointed to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who criticized other states’ handling of the virus earlier this year.

Walz said South Dakota and other surrounding states have now “blown past us” in COVID-19 metrics. After, Walz called out the national response headed by the Trump White House.

“This nation had a very disconcerted and very disoriented national strategy - if you could even call it that,” he said, arguing that it led to more deaths and cases.

“We would not have fought World War II 50 states at a time,” he said of the state-level response tactic. “No other nation did it and, as a result, no other nation had the outcomes we’ve had."

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said a national strategy is essential.

“Without a national strategy, the virus just keeps moving around the country,” she said. “You can have temporary improvements that don’t last.”

She used a wildfire analogy to describe the issue, saying, “Wildfire will find where the wood is.”