President Donald Trump announced at Monday’s coronavirus task force briefing that he will meet Tuesday with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the White House.
Just prior to making the announcement, Trump pointed to comments Cuomo made at his own daily coronavirus press conference earlier Monday.
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 19: U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions at the daily coronavirus briefing at the White House on April 19, 2020 in Washington, DC. New York state will begin the nation’s most aggressive COVID-19 antibody testing campaign this week even as some states begin to loosen restrictions amid pressure to restart the economy. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
“He said, ‘the president is right. The states testing is up to the states to do, which will implement the tests and logistically coordinate the tests,'” Trump told reporters in the White House’s Brady Briefing Room. “‘I think the president is right when he says the states should lead.'”
“We look forward to that,” the president added of Cuomo’s Tuesday visit.
WATCH:
Cuomo did say Monday that states should lead on implementing coronavirus testing but added that it should be in partnership with the federal government.
“I think the president is right when he says the states should lead,” he stated. “The national manufacturers say they have supply chain issues. I’d like the federal government to help on those supply chain issues.”
With New York at the epicenter of the United States’ coronavirus pandemic, Cuomo has been thrust into the national spotlight for how he has worked with Trump and the federal government’s response. Cuomo has been largely supportive of the government’s handling of the pandemic, yet he criticized Trump’s recent claims that the president has “total” authority to reopen the economy.
Trump’s guidelines outline 3 phases of reopening but puts the ultimate responsibility in the hands of the governors. (RELATED: Trump’s Plan For ‘Opening Up America Again’ Will Be Governor-Led, Gets Nod From Top Docs)