Cuomo Says He Told Trump to ‘Forget’ Their Past in Working Together Amid Coronavirus Crisis

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is sharing how he wants to work with President Donald Trump on bridging the gap between the federal government and states to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus.

Cuomo and Trump have been at odds in the past, but Cuomo recognizes the need to put those exchanges aside and the importance of moving forward.

“Forget the politics, put that aside. Forget the past, put that aside. Forget personalities,” Cuomo said he told Trump at the beginning of the crisis. “These are all indulgences that we don’t have right now.”

Check out his comments below:

Cuomo has offered praise to Trump for being “very helpful” to New York, as IJR previously reported.

He also acknowledged the multiple interactions they have had with each other.

“There is no governor who has clashed with this president more than I have over the past few years,” Cuomo said. “And there’s no governor who has been attacked more by this president over the past few years, so it’s been mutual.”

New York has become the state with the most coronavirus cases. As of Friday morning, New York is reporting at least 159,937 coronavirus cases, with up to 7,067 deaths.

As the coronavirus continues to affect primary elections, Cuomo announced residents will be able to vote absentee in the state’s June primary, as IJR previously reported.

Cuomo reiterated it is necessary for states to work with the federal government as they cannot solve these issues on their own.

“We have a common goal, we have to save lives. This is about saving lives” Cuomo said. “And I said to the president, ‘I need the federal government to work here.’ A state can’t do this without the federal government.”

He expressed his hope the federal government and state will be able to work together to address the issue of testing.

“This is plain truth time and you deliver or you don’t,” Cuomo said.