SCOOP: As the Trump administration discouraged mask use for the public, the NSC raced to secure a stash of masks for White House personnel. New story about a deal with Taiwan to secure 3,600 for senior officials, by @CarolLeonnig @lizzadwoskin & me https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-us-discouraged-mask-use-for-public-white-house-team-raced-to-secure-face-coverings-from-taiwan-for-senior-staff/2020/04/15/27d815d2-7ac5-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html

The unique character in this story is deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who previously covered the SARS epidemic in Asia for WSJ. He viewed COVID-19 as a grave threat early on & had been in regular talks w/ Asian contacts on masks & other protective measures

At the time of the shipment, some U.S. officials were disturbed that a subset of masks went directly to the WH when doctors & nurses were crafting homemade gear and US policy said civilians shouldn’t wear them. But WH officials noted that majority of masks went to medical staff

Getting Taiwan onboard was also no small feat. The island had banned commercial exports of masks to protect supply for its citizens. Beijing, which claims the island as part of China, called the transfer “despicable behavior” that provoked a “confrontation with the Motherland.”