CNN’s Jake Tapper was praised for calling out New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday over his “victory tour” regarding coronavirus.
Cuomo unveiled a “New York Tough” poster Monday evening that he said shows what New York went through amid coronavirus. At a time when CNN as a whole has largely refrained from criticizing the Democratic governor, Tapper condemned Cuomo’s actions, pointing out the “more than 32,000 dead New Yorkers.”
“There are no illustrations, however, of the more than 32,000 dead New Yorkers, the highest death toll by far of any state,” Tapper said Tuesday on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
“No rendering on that poster of criticism that Governor Cuomo ignored warnings, no depiction of the study that he could have saved thousands of lives had he and Mayor De Blasio acted sooner, no painting there on the poster of his since rescinded order that nursing homes take all infected patients in.”
WATCH:
NY Gov Cuomo seems to go on victory lap despite highest death toll in U.S. @drsanjaygupta reports pic.twitter.com/SQodVimCWk
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) July 14, 2020
Tapper added that it “is revisionism” and that even though many “New Yorkers are happy that the infection numbers are down,” people are offended by Cuomo’s actions. Tapper also criticized Cuomo earlier in the day on Twitter over his poster unveiling, which occurred during NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” Monday.
2/ Yes, this has been a major challenge for every leader, but New York’s leaders do not have a success story to tell. It’s been about missteps and late actions.
From April: “How Delays and Unheeded Warnings Hindered New York’s Virus Fight”https://t.co/rTUcF2fbWF
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 14, 2020
The CNN host was praised for calling out Cuomo, with some pointing out the difference between his rhetoric and that of CNN host Chris Cuomo’s, who often has his brother on for talks. Cuomo has consistently given softball interviews of his brother amid coronavirus. (RELATED: Chris Cuomo Lavishes Praise On Governor Brother Andrew Cuomo)
“The contrast is really fascinating between having a journalist with no blood relationship to Gov. Cuomo in @JakeTapper report on his COVID performance as opposed to have the Governor’s brother repeatedly use CNN’s airwaves to hail him as the modern-day Augustus,” The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald tweeted.
Josh Holmes, former Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, gave a “hats off” to Tapper “for telling it like it is.”
“More of this, please,” Fox News’ senior meteorologist Janice Dean tweeted.
Even if you are partisan Democrat, even if you are alarmed by developments in Fla, Tx, and Az, even if you oppose re-opening, there is *zero* case to be made for Andrew Cuomo as the great conquering hero of covid https://t.co/RNWuwwGJuw
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) July 15, 2020
“Tapper is right to call out NY over victory lap,” former Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney wrote. “No one should declare victory (we have along way to go), particularly state that is 6% of our populations & 25% of fatalities I think Cuomo has done many things very well but vaccine is still months away.”