He then called up a handful of farmers and ranchers who praised the president for the program, and his daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, who called it \"a great cycle\" for helping small distributors, farmers and those in need, she said.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/president-trump-ap-jef-200519_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Evan Vucci/AP
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks during an event on the food supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 19, 2020, in Washington.
Invited to visit Virginia by one potato farmer, Trump said, \"Be careful, I might.\"
\"I'll be there. We're gonna, we're going after Virginia with your crazy governor. We're going after Virginia. They want to take your second amendment away, you know, that right? You'll have nobody guarding your potatoes,\" the president continued.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat and no stranger to the president's criticism, was quick to fire back, responding to a CBS reporter's tweet -- and he included a medical suggestion to Trump.
\"I grew up on a Virginia farm, Mr. President -- our potatoes are fine. And as the only medical doctor among our nation's governors, I suggest you stop taking hydroxychloroquine. Let's all get back to work,\" Northam said.
ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/ivanka-ap-aa-200519_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
Evan Vucci/AP
PHOTO: Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, speaks as Trump looks on during an event on the food supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 19, 2020, in Washington.
White House press secretary doesn't know 'exact rationale' behind Trump's use of hydroxychloroquine, Birx appears to ignore question
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this morning that she didn't know \"the exact rationale\" behind President Trump's decision to take hydroxychloroquine but that \"the president just wanted to be transparent about his personal health decision that he made in consultation with his doctor.\"
\"I don't have any information about the exact rationale,\" she told Fox News when asked for details. \"That was a personal deliberation with Dr. Conley and the president.\"
McEnany noted that \"any use of hydroxychloroquine has to be in consultation with your doctor\" and requires a prescription.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House after her interview, McEnany dismissed questions about any vagueness and careful wording of the memo from White House physician Sean Conley released Monday night, saying the purpose \"was to give a medical rationale\" for the decision for Trump to take it.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/kayleigh-mcenany-ap-jef-200519_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Evan Vucci/AP
PHOTO: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany talks with reporters at the White House, May 19, 2020, in Washington.
\"The purpose of this letter was to show that Dr. Conley agreed with the analysis that the benefits outweighed the risk,\" she said. \"The president should be taken at his word, and the purpose of this letter was to show just that, as it did, the rationale behind it.\"
The White House's coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, ignored a question from a reporter this morning on the topic, as she walked by a camera in the White House driveway. She, instead, commented on the weather.
ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Pence meets with Mnuchin, McConnell and McCarthy on Capitol Hill
Nearly two weeks after his press secretary tested positive for COVID-19, Vice President Mike Pence was at the U.S. Capitol building this morning for a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell \"to discuss COVID-19 and economy,\" according to a McConnell spokesperson.
The four were scheduled to meet before Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified before the Senate Banking Committee.
McConnell was questioned last week if he opposes measures in the new House bill such as direct payments for Americans or hazard pay for essential workers.
\"What I've said is, we're taking a look at what we've already done. And we've added about $3 trillion to the national debt, and assessing the effectiveness of that before deciding to go forward. I'm in discussion, we all are, with the administration. If we reach a decision along with the administration to move to another phase, that'll be the time to interact with the Democrats,\" he said.
ABC News' Trish Turner
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/mitch-mcconnell-ap-jef-200519_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Patrick Semansky/AP
PHOTO: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wears a face mask to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Trump tweets 4-page letter about WHO funding, threatens permanent hold
Citing concerns about what he called the \"World Health Organization's alarming lack of independence from the People's Republic of China,\" President Trump late Monday tweeted out a four-page letter to the WHO director-general saying if the United Nations agency \"does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of U.S. funding permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.\"
Earlier Monday, Trump said he declined an opportunity to speak to the WHO virtual assembly on the pandemic because \"they've done a very sad job in the last period of time\" and \"they are a puppet of China.\"
China's President Xi Jinping did not pass up his chance to address the WHO's decision-making body. During his remarks, Xi supported an international review after the pandemic ends and also said China would donate $2 billion to global coronavirus aid.
ABC News' Ben Gittleson
This report was featured in the Wednesday, May 20, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.
\"Start Here\" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.
What to know about the coronavirus:
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