Gov. Cuomo Torches Ron DeSantis, Other Red State Governors: ‘You Played Politics With This Virus and You Lost’
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is going after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and other Republican governors for policies on reopening their states, and the coronavirus spikes which have followed.
Appearing on CNN’s New Day Thursday, Cuomo discussed the 14-day mandatory quarantine he and other tri-state area governors instituted — which requires those traveling in from virus hot spots such as Florida, Arizona, and Texas to isolate for two weeks.
CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked the governor about his reaction when circumstances were reversed — noting that Cuomo was not pleased when Florida instituted a ban on incoming New Yorkers. But Cuomo maintains that he’s been consistent on the issue.
“Three months ago I said we’re playing politics with the virus and the virus is going to win,” Cuomo said. “It was all politics. And the virus… you can’t beat a virus with politics. The virus isn’t Democratic or Republican. We were in political denial.”
Camerota then played footage of DeSantis saying that the “New York media was blowing a gasket,” when he instituted a mandatory quarantine for those from the Empire State visiting Florida. DeSantis credited that quarantine with saving lives. At the time, New York was the virus epicenter in the U.S. — as the state averaged nearly 10,000 new cases per day in late March and early April. Now, the number is well under 1,000 per day.
Florida, conversely, hit a new high Wednesday in single day cases with more than 5,500. The overall trend shows virus cases skyrocketing, as the state has averaged well over 3,000 per day for the past week.
“So what do you say to [DeSantis] today now that the tables have turned?” Camerota asked Cuomo.
Cuomo went on to bash DeSantis and other Republican governors over what he deems to be lax policy relating to the virus.
“I say to them all: Look at the numbers,” Cuomo said. “You played politics with this virus and you lost. You told the people of your state, and you told the people of this country, White House, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just open up, go about your business, this is all Democratic hyperbole.’ Oh, really? Now you see 27 states with the numbers going up. You see the death projections going up. You see the economy going down. It was never politics. It was always science. And they were in denial, and denial is not a life strategy.”
Watch above, via CNN.
