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A government agency suddenly changed its own description of the national stockpile of medical supplies Friday, shortly after reporters noted it directly contradicted the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

During a COVID-19 briefing at the White House, the senior White House adviser suggested that the Strategic National Stockpile was not meant for the use of states.

"The notion of the federal stockpile was it's supposed to be our stockpile," Kushner said. "It's not supposed to be the states' stockpiles that they then use."

Kushner added that the Trump administration was "encouraging the states to make sure that they are assessing the needs and getting the data from their local situations."

But that directly contradicted the Department of Health and Human Services' own description of the program, which noted 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."

Multiple reporters, and some lawmakers, quickly noted the discrepancy, including Politico's Playbook newsletter.



A few minutes later, journalist Laura Bassett noted the language on the government's website describing the stockpile was changed, aligning closely to Kushner's comments.