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'Stop Golfing And Concede' | Gov. Larry Hogan Hits Back At President Trump's Tweet On South Korea COVID-19 Tests

ANNAPOLIS (WJZ) -- As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Maryland and nationwide, President Donald Trump and Gov. Larry Hogan got into a heated exchange on Twitter earlier Sunday.

It stems from reports that the governor spent millions on faulty COVID-19 tests from South Korea.

President Trump shared a Breitbart News link Sunday afternoon, saying "Hogan is just as bad as the flawed tests he paid big money for!"

He is referring to an article originally published in The Washington Post, claiming that Gov. Hogan spent nearly $9.5 million in state funding for 500,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea, only to later find out they were flawed.

According to the report, the Hogan administration paid an additional $2.5 million to the same company for replacement tests.

After getting the replacement tests, the Post reported that they were offered to two private labs for use, but one declined due to possible false positives and the speed of the results. They say 370,000 of the replacement tests were used by the other lab.

Hogan said this report is completely false, and that those tests have been the cornerstone of the state's testing strategy for months.

'Deeply Disappointing' | Maryland Democrats Critical Of Gov. Hogan After Report Says $9.4M South Korean COVID-19 Tests Were Flawed

President Donald J. Trump golfs at Trump National Golf Club
STERLING, VA - NOVEMBER 15: President Donald J. Trump places his club back in his back as he golfs at Trump National Golf Club on Sunday November 15, 2020 in Sterling, VA. (Photo by Al Drago for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Gov. Larry Hogan responded to the tweet, saying if the President had "done your job" the country's governors would not have had to get their own tests as he said they have done in Maryland.

"Stop golfing and concede," he said in a tweet.

"We all know how vindictive the President can be, how powerful his Twitter account is and how he can really pressure the Republicans and go after them," Gov. Hogan said.

On CNN Sunday Morning, the governor added that he hopes for a smooth transition of power come January, saying lives are at stake.

"We have the current administration and the new administration not even talking to one another," Gov. Hogan said.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

This story was initially posted on Sunday, Nov. 22.

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