New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized President Trump on Monday, alleging that the president is “facilitating” the spread of the new coronavirus across the country and called it out for making the pandemic a “political” issue.
“Denying COVID is really advancing the COVID virus,” Cuomo said. “I know this is a politically charged environment right now, and somehow COVID has become a political problem, which, I’ve never heard of a virus becoming political, but in this environment, it has been ; but if you deny the problem, you will never solve it. “
Cuomo added: “We are not the United States of denial. We have never been a nation that has excelled because we refuse to admit the problem. We admit the problem and then we get over it. “
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Cuomo criticized the president for repeatedly claiming that more evidence “makes us see that we have more cases, especially proportionally, than other countries.”
Trump has mentioned in the past that the more people test positive for the coronavirus, the worse the crisis will worsen, despite the fact that experts have said that a robust testing system is necessary for the nation to return to normalcy entirely. of the pandemic. The Trump administration has also been behind the push to rapidly increase test capacity in the United States as part of what Trump called a “phenomenal” response to the crisis.
“If we don’t try, then we won’t know. And if you don’t know, then you have no problem, ”Cuomo said sarcastically. “That’s a great way to go through life, isn’t it?”
“No more cancer tests, no more mammograms, and we don’t want to know. No more prostate checks, that will end prostate cancer. No more HIV testing and that will solve the AIDS problem, “Cuomo continued. “No. Not knowing doesn’t mean you don’t have a problem.”
He added: “Mr. President, don’t be a COVID conspirator. Do one simple thing. Acknowledge the American people that COVID exists. It is a big problem. It will continue until we admit it and each of us stands up to do our part.”
Cuomo went on to say that if the president does not acknowledge the further increase in COVID-19 positive cases across the country, “then he is facilitating the virus. You are enabling the virus. “
“How did this become a political statement? This is common sense, “said Cuomo. “And let the president start by sending that signal very simply: just wear the masks.”
Cuomo later criticized Trump, claiming he “makes up facts” and “makes up science.”
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“He wants to deny COVID,” said Cuomo. “‘Well’ is like the flu. ‘ ‘He’s going to go for Easter’ … He said all those things. Neither of them was true.
“Now we have a problem in 38 states because some people believed him,” added Cuomo. “He is part of the current debacle we are in.”
Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows defended Monday the president and administration’s response to the new coronavirus pandemic.
“When we had testing problems, this president acted. When we had problems with the fans, this president acted. When we had problems with PPP, this president acted. “
“And there is good news on the way,” he said. “Whether it’s therapeutic or a vaccine, help is on the way. We will be able to make sure we deliver them before the end of the year. ”
As of Monday, the United States reported more than 2.88 million positive cases of COVID-19 and more than 132,000 deaths.
