Democratic New York Rep. Max Rose said in interview published Friday that he has no issue with President Donald Trump winning reelection in November — as long as the coronavirus is beaten.
“Nothing would make me happier, nothing, than to see this president utilize all the tools at his disposal to win this war as the commander in chief that he is, and to own that success,” Rose told Politico. “And if that success means that we beat COVID [-19] and he wins reelection, then so be it. God bless him.”
President Donald Trump speaks at the daily briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in the Rose Garden at the White House April 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Rose, an officer in the National Guard, won over a right-leaning constituency in New York in the 2018 midterm elections. He has sided with the Trump administration on issues like the Taliban truce and has shredded the Green New Deal as a “lie to voters” that would usher in “massive socialist” spending. (New York Gov. Cuomo Praises Trump’s Handling Of The Coronavirus Crisis)
Although the congressman is supportive of the president’s efforts thus far to combat the coronavirus pandemic, he would also encourage Trump to do more.
“We have won the greatest battle of the 21st century. But I have not seen his administration assert its authority in the ways that it could. Think back again to the analogy of World War II. We built factories and then mandated that the private sector take them over,” Rose told Politico. (RELATED: NYC Adds Nearly 4000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls)
US Representative-elect Max Rose (D-NY) jokes about taking the lottery box during an office lottery for new members of Congress on Capitol Hill November 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
“We put people to work in terms of wartime jobs. That wasn’t just the patriotic thing to do. That was absolutely vital because people needed work. And we very well might find ourselves in that situation again,” he said, noting that companies like 3M may not see the wisdom of producing personal protective equipment if there is no foreseeable need for the products after the COVID-19 virus is controlled or eradicated.
“The federal government needs to step in and make sure that those 10 new factories are built, and make sure they’re built in America. Only the federal government can do that.”