New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is slamming President Donald Trump and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
During his press briefing on Monday, the Democratic governor expressed concern about Trump’s repeated attempts to evade discussions about the coronavirus.
Although cases have surged in several states which contradicts the president’s dismissal of the virus and its impacts, Cuomo is urging the president to do “one simple thing.”
“Mr. President, don’t be a co-conspirator of COVID,” Cuomo advised.
“Do one simple thing: acknowledge to the American people that COVID exists. It is a major problem. It’s going to continue until we admit it and each of us stands up to do our part. If he does not acknowledge that, then he is facilitating the virus. He is enabling the virus.”
Cuomo went on to criticize the president’s leadership outlining his approach to handling the virus.
Despite global health experts, state and local officials raising concerns about the accelerated spread of the coronavirus, Trump has continued to dismiss the virus.
See Cuomo’s remarks at the 01:03:00 mark:
In fact, during his Fourth of July speech in Washington, D.C., he even falsely claimed 99% of positive coronavirus cases are harmless. Cuomo recalled multiple occasions where Trump disregarded facts as he noted the growing coronavirus-related problems in several states.
“He makes up facts. He makes up science. He wants to deny the COVID virus. He has from day one. ‘Well, it’s just like the flu. Well, it’s going to be gone by Easter. It’s gonna get warm and then it’s going to disappear like a miracle,'” Cuomo said echoing Trump’s previous claims. “He said all those things. None of them were true, and now we have a problem in 38 states because some people believed him.”
Cuomo also noted Trump’s ongoing disregard for masks as he insisted the president refuses to wear a mask because, as the governor says, it may serve as an acknowledgment of the virus.
He said, “All the health officials say wear the mask. He won’t wear a mask because he doesn’t want to admit that there is a COVID virus.”
Cuomo’s latest remarks follow multiple comments from Trump. During his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he suggested that there would be fewer cases if testing was slowed down, as previously reported on IJR.
However, a report by Jennifer Nuzz, an epidemiologist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security, suggested that the increase in numbers is not due to the increase in testing, but rather she points to the positivity rates.
The World Health Organization also previously said that the recent record numbers in coronavirus cases are not a “testing phenomenon.”
As of Monday afternoon, there are more than 3 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. The U.S. death toll is also at 132,722 and recoveries are at 1,302,125.
