New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to give an update Saturday on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, Cuomo and President Trump sparred over the response to the crisis.
“The federal government has passed three bills to address this crisis. Of those three bills, the state governments have gotten precisely zero, zilch, nada in unrestricted aid,” Cuomo said at his daily press conference. “It doesn’t work. We need financial resources to stabilize the states.”
How to watch Cuomo’s briefing today
Mr. Trump responded to the governor’s criticism, tweeting during the briefing.
“Governor Cuomo should spend more time ‘doing’ and less time ‘complaining’. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!” the president wrote.
“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!”
In response, Cuomo said the hospital beds that were added in New York were based on a projection from the president.
“They’re your projections, Mr. President,” he said. “So were we foolish for relying on your projections?”
Congressional Democrats are calling for funding for state and local governments to be included in the next coronavirus relief legislation, but members of Congress remain at a stalemate over what provisions that bill would include.
Cuomo is set to participate in a virtual town hall event with California Governor Gavin Newsom, former President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton on Saturday.
Audrey McNamara contributed to this report.
