President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE announced Sunday his approval for Ford, General Motors and Tesla to produce desperately needed ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president said in a tweet that the auto companies will be permitted to “make ventilators and other metal products, FAST!”

“Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are?” he posted, tagging incoming White House chief of staff Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAirline CEOs plead with Washington as layoffs loom Trump reacts to Ginsburg's death: 'An amazing woman who led an amazing life' Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOcasio-Cortez to voters: Tell McConnell 'he is playing with fire' with Ginsburg's seat McConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Video shows NYC subway station renamed after Ruth Bader Ginsburg MORE (R-Ky.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyTrump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill Trump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat MORE (R-Calif.).

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Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are? @RepMarkMeadows @GOPLeader @senatemajldr — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2020

President Trump signed the Defense Production Act last week which permits the administration to draft the American industry into manufacturing needed medical supplies during a crisis. He said Friday he was putting the law "into gear" but it remained unclear to what extent he was using the order.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow Larry KudlowMORE said last week that General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra offered to use the company’s factories to develop ventilators. GM also released a statement Friday saying it would enable Ventec Life Systems to increase manufacturing of respiratory care products to help fight the pandemic.

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"Ventec will leverage GM’s logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise to build more of their critically important ventilators," the statement reads.

Health care experts are warning that a lack of medical supplies could allow hospitals to become overwhelmed with the growing number of coronavirus cases and ill-equipped to handle them all. State governments around the country are requesting more supplies from masks to ventilators to keep up with the cases.

The U.S. has documented more than 26,700 cases, leading to 340 deaths and 176 recoveries, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.