https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/27/trump-orders-gm-to-start-ventilator-production-for-covid-19-amid-contract-dispute/ > President Donald Trump signed Friday a presidential directive ordering GM to produce ventilators and to prioritize federal contracts, just hours after the automaker announced plans to manufacture the critical medical equipment needed for patients suffering from COVID-19, disease caused by coronavirus. > The order, made under the Defense Production Act, marks a sudden reversal by Trump, who has touted the efforts by GM and other manufacturers to try and ramp up production of ventilators and and personal protective gear that is in short supply as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. The order came amid a dispute with GM over a contract to build the ventilators.