Andrew Cuomo ‘Seems To Want Independence’ But ‘That Won’t Happen’ Says Donald Trump
President Donald Trump and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been battling over who has the authority to open the economy in New York, with each claiming that only they can decide when to ease social isolation guidelines and allow businesses to reopen.
Now, Trump is taking a shot at the Democratic governor via Twitter, saying that he asked for help for medical supplies to battle the virus in his state, but now Cuomo is claiming independence — something the president says he won’t allow to happen.
“Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc. I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence!” Trump wrote. “That won’t happen!”
On Monday, Trump declared that he had the authority to open up the states. He said that the “Fake News Media” was spreading misinformation to the contrary, saying that it was up to the governors to reopen businesses in the states.
“Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect,” he tweeted. “It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons.”
He added that while he believes he has total authority over the states, he was working with the governors to make an informed decision.
Read This: 10 Items You Can (And Should) Buy On Amazon Right Now
In response, Cuomo spoke on the Today show, where he contradicted Trump’s claim that he has the sole power to open the states.
“We have a Constitution,” he said. “You have to remember it’s the states that created the federal government, not the other way around.”
“States have the power by the Tenth Amendment,” he concluded.
"I don't know what the president is talking about, frankly. … The Constitution is based on balance of powers. … We don't have a king. We have a president. … The president is just wrong on that point." @NYGovCuomo on Pres. Trump saying he has sole power to reopen states pic.twitter.com/LaGnq2z0Li
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 14, 2020
While the White House appears to be eyeing May 1 as the date they want to shoot for to reopen the economy, Cuomo has said that easing restrictions and letting businesses reopen in the state will be a “delicate balance,” as The Inquisitr previously reported.
He likened this “delicate balance” to three gears in a machine, with education, transportation, and the economy making up the gears. In order to get everything up and running, all three would need to be coordinated.
New York has been the hardest hit state in the country, with nearly 200,000 confirmed cases of the virus and over 10,000 deaths. As a result, Cuomo says that no one can say for certain what the future may hold when it comes to getting back to life as normal, stating that the economy would be forced to close once again if the virus made a comeback because restrictions were lifted too soon.
Legal experts say that states have the authority to make the decision on whether to enforce or lift public health restrictions at the local level. The president has the authority to issue nationwide health guidelines.
