President Trump and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are trading barbs over the coronavirus response, with the president telling the Democratic governor Tuesday to “keep politics out of it.”
“Cuomo wants ‘all states to be treated the same. But all states aren’t the same,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all.”
Trump added: “New York is a very big ‘hotspot’, West Virginia has, thus far, zero cases.”
“Andrew, keep politics out of it…” Trump tweeted.
Trump’s post came after he tweeted Monday night about a teleconference he had conducted with governors across the country, saying it went well but claiming Cuomo has to “do more.”
Cuomo, a frequent critic of Trump, fired back Monday night.
“I have to do more? No—YOU have to do something!” Cuomo tweeted. “You’re supposed to be the President.”
He added: “Happy to do your job, too. Just give me control of the Army Corps of Engineers and I’ll take it from there.”
The back-and-forth between Trump and Cuomo comes as the nation is grappling with what was designated last week by the World Health Organization as a global pandemic.
As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 4,660 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, in 49 states, including Washington, D.C. The U.S., so far, has seen 85 coronavirus-related deaths.
New York, at this point, is considered the state with the highest number of confirmed cases in the country, with nearly 1,000 individuals having tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, Trump also slammed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who delivered the rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union last month. The governor, whose state is not at this point one of the most impacted, earlier had called on the federal government to do more in response to the pandemic.
“Failing Michigan Governor must work harder and be much more proactive. We are pushing her to get the job done. I stand with Michigan!” Trump tweeted.
He went on to tout the administration’s response to coronavirus, and their work with states and localities to halt the spread.
“Federal Government is working very well with the Governors and State officials. Good things will happen! #KILLTHEVIRUS,” he tweeted.
Trump announced a national emergency on Friday. The president also announced a temporary halt on air travel to the United States from Europe, now including flights from the United Kingdom, but excluding those carrying cargo.
The announcement came as major sporting and other events were called off or postponed, businesses across the country instituted telework policies, government buildings and schools shuttered and other disruptions rocked the nation, amid efforts to curb the transmission of the virus.
On Monday, Cuomo, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy collectively decided to shutter bars, restaurants, movie theaters and gyms in the tri-state area in an attempt to halt the growing number of cases in the region. They also said they would limit crowd capacity for recreational and social gatherings to 50 people.
“Our primary goal right now is to slow the spread of this virus so that the wave of new infections doesn’t crash our health care system, and everyone agrees social distancing is the best way to do that,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This is not a war that can be won alone, which is why New York is partnering with our neighboring states to implement a uniform standard that not only keeps our people safe but also prevents ‘state shopping’ where residents of one state travel to another and vice versa.”
Read More:
- Clint Eastwood backs Mike Bloomberg, wishes Trump would be ‘more genteel’ in office
- After months of ban, J&K administration restores broadband service in Valley
- Maharashtra govt ‘threatening’ people over coronavirus: Raj Thackeray
- Maharashtra reports 12 more COVID-19 cases, total goes up to 26
- European Union lashes out at Trump over travel ban, amid coronavirus chaos