Thanks for sharing this fact. Where can I corroborate this?
Personally - I think this makes sense.
But, it also does not excuse subsequent behavior
I think at the outset, there was a known national shortage of PPE.
A run on PPE, instead of toilet paper, would have put healthcare providers more at risk.
What should have happened is the use of the presidency to get masks, and other things, manufactured on a scale to ensure that everyone had enough - hell, just asking people to step up and make masks for friends and neighbors probably would have done the trick - given how many were eventually produced locally.
But, we lacked a plan. That alone was a colossal failure of leadership. Whatever you like about Trump, there is no denying that he is a very poor leader.