‘No one can be Russell Wilson,’ Gov. Inslee says after suggesting country needs a ‘Tom Brady’

SEATTLE — “I would have mentioned Russell Wilson… but no one can be (Russell Wilson).”

That was Gov. Jay Inslee’s message on Twitter to Seahawks fans and Washingtonians alike after news surfaced of his plea to President Donald Trump that the country needs a “Tom Brady” to help in the coronavirus crisis.

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Inslee’s comment came during a Thursday conference call with fellow governors.

Inslee urged Trump to use his full authority to ramp up production of necessary medical equipment, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by the Associated Press. But Trump said the federal government is merely the “backup.”

“I don’t want you to be the backup quarterback. We need you to be Tom Brady here," Inslee replied, invoking the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.

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Afterwards, Inslee took to twitter to explain why he didn’t suggest the country needed a “Russell Wilson.”

Later in the day, Inslee said of the discussion with Trump: “I am not going to go into great detail, but I will say that I told them that the states should not be competing against each other. We are grateful for their assistance in what they have provided so far.”

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.

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