Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to President Donald Trump’s recent attack Friday, suggesting he should stop “sitting at home watching TV.”
Trump tweeted during Cuomo’s Friday coronavirus press briefing that the New York governor should “spend more time ‘doing’ and less time ‘complaining.'”
“Governor Cuomo should spend more time ‘doing’ and less time ‘complaining’,” Trump tweeted. “Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didn’t need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing.”
“We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!”
….testing that you should be doing. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
Cuomo was asked about Trump’s comments and began a rant that would last over 10 minutes. (RELATED: ‘How Is Chris?’: Andrew Cuomo Says Trump ‘Always’ Asks About His Brother And Mother’s Health)
“Good,” Cuomo began. “Let’s respond to the president. First of all, if he’s sitting at home watching TV. Maybe he should get up and go to work, right? Second, let’s keep emotion and politics out of this and personal ego, if we can, because this is about the people, and it’s about our job, and let’s try to focus on that.”
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Cuomo continued on to talk about the “projections” given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding novel coronavirus numbers. He disputed Trump’s comment about not using ventilators and beds, saying that the projection “were the president’s.”
“The projections were high,” Cuomo said. “They were the president’s projections. So for him to say to anyone, ‘Well, you relied on projections, and the projections were wrong’ – they’re your projections, Mr. President. So, were we foolish for relying on your projections, Mr. President?”
The New York governor said that he is unsure what Trump wants from him. Cuomo wondered out loud if he should “send a bouquet of flowers” to thank the president, while adding that the crisis is “not over.”
Cuomo also hit back at Trump over his plan to reopen the country. Trump announced guidelines Thursday that would be state-by-state in terms of reopening America. Cuomo noted that “it was always up to the states” on what to do regarding the novel coronavirus crisis.
“What, are you going to grant me what the Constitution gave me before you were born?” Cuomo said. “It’s called the 10th Amendment.”
“Maybe he [Trump] should have read the Constitution before he said he had the power to open the states.”
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Cuomo was then asked if he had spoken to the president Thursday or Friday. The Democratic governor said that he hadn’t, and continued on with a speech about the power that the governor has in his or her state.
“How many times do you want me to say thank you?” Cuomo added. “But I’m saying, thank you for doing your job. This was your role as president, okay?”
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