Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was slammed after he appeared to threaten President Donald Trump over his plan to pull federal funding from some Democrat-run cities.
The Democrat leader declared that the U.S. President had “better have an army’” to protect him if he ever plans to visit New York City, claiming residents want nothing to do with him. Cuomo later reportedly clarified his remarks after igniting scathing criticism for his shocking rhetoric.
The governor’s comments came during an emergency press briefing he called on Wednesday quickly following the president’s release of a memo ordering federal agencies to explore how to remove federal funding of cities that have been allowed to devolve into “lawless zones” amid ongoing protests and riots.
“He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York. New Yorkers don’t want to have anything to do with him,” Cuomo said, according to the New York Post.
“He can’t have enough bodyguards to walk through New York City, people don’t want to have anything to do with him,” the Democrat, who is a native of the Queens borough of New York City just like Trump, added.
Another Joe Biden voter threatening violence… This is now the norm in the democrat party. https://t.co/TpERMosPKT
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 3, 2020
Trump’s memo to federal agencies targeted New York City, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Portland amid ongoing riots. He also twice called out New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio who has repeatedly whined about needing a bailout from Washington, D.C. to deal with the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus lockdowns in the city. Despite escalating crime rates in the city, de Blasio caved to anti-police activists and pulled about $1 billion from the NYPD budget.
“My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,” the president wrote, according to The Post. “To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government’s promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America’s cities.”
My Administration will do everything in its power to prevent weak mayors and lawless cities from taking Federal dollars while they let anarchists harm people, burn buildings, and ruin lives and businesses. We’re putting them on notice today. @RussVought45
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2020
“It is more of the same from him. It’s political, it is gratuitous. And it’s illegal. But it is another attempt to kill New York City,” Cuomo said on Wednesday, continuing to shift blame on the president for policies in is own state.
“President Ford said drop dead. President Trump has been actively trying to kill New York City since he’s been elected,” he claimed as he continued to spew his personal attacks.
“I think it’s because he is from New York City and New York City rejected him, always,” Cuomo claimed.
“He was dismissed as a clown in New York City, those who know him best, like him least,” he added. “He was disrespected in New York City. Nobody took him seriously and he was just a tabloid cartoon.”
Despite the fact that Cuomo’s own Health Department policy potentially lead to nearly 6,500 deaths in nursing homes as they were prohibited from turning away those who tested positive for COVID-19, Cuomo placed the blame on Trump’s “negligence.”
Cuomo declared that Trump “is not a king,” during the conference call.
“He thinks he’s a king but he’s not, he’s a president. And there is a Constitution and there are laws — nothing that he knows anything about — but the federal budget is appropriated by law. … The statutes contain the funding conditions and he can’t override the law. I suspect it’s more of a political statement than anything else.”
The three-term Democrat governor apparently tried to walk back some of his controversial comments on Wednesday as he clarified his intent with more insults leveled at Trump.
“My comment about the president and bodyguards in New York City, all I’m saying is that he is persona non grata in New York City,” he said, according to The Post.
“And I think he knows that. And he’ll never come back to New York, because New Yorkers will never forget how gratuitously mean he has been to New Yorkers and how many times he’s tried to kill the city that gave him his start and birthed him. That’s what I meant about the bodyguards,” Cuomo said.
Though de Blasio did not yet respond to Trump’s reported memo, his press secretary Bill Neidhardt did.
As much as Donald Trump wants New York City to drop dead, we will never let this stand.
This has nothing to do with “law and order”. This is a racist campaign stunt out of the Oval Office to attack millions of people of color. https://t.co/w7tzJxc8wW
— Bill Neidhardt (@BNeidhardt) September 2, 2020
Twitter users assailed Cuomo for his personal attack on the president amid the lawlessness he and de Blasio have allowed to persist.
Raise your hands if you don’t recognize New York City. pic.twitter.com/tK6r1pf2p9
— Joel Fischer (@JFNYC1) September 3, 2020
Even liberals seemed to have a problem with the governor’s words.
CNN White House correspondent John Harwood tweeted that “even hinting that the President would face physical harm by coming to your state is wrong.”
“Good lord, this is a terrible message. Shame on the Governor for threatening anyone’s safety, including the President,” CNN’s S.E. Cupp tweeted.
Social media also reminded him that the commander-in-chief actually does have “an army” to protect him if he visited New York.
It’s not even out of context, he just thought hard about it and went with: “He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York.”
Anyway, he’s got too high a count to go back to normal, he’ll always have The Hunger now. Full psychopath, media darling. https://t.co/h02qDp2d27
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) September 3, 2020
I’m so embarassed to be a New Yorker these days. Has Cuomo ever heard of the US Military? They have an army division.
— ᴰᵒᵐⁱⁿᵃ𝔾𝕒𝕚𝕒 (@GaiaNYC) September 3, 2020
And a Space Force!
— Ham_Sandwich27 (@HamSandwich27) September 3, 2020
A gov of a US state tells a US president that he can’t enter the state w/out an army?
What year is this, 1860? What state is Cuomo the governor of, South Carolina? What will Gov Cuomo do if President Trump is elected to a 2nd term, lead a movement of secession? pic.twitter.com/IbkU9KzZVc
— ModSquad (@Designsage) September 3, 2020
Right now everyone needs body guards in nyc. Thanks @NYGovCuomo and @NYCMayor. You’ve ruined the best city in the world.
— Dg (@danielg1024) September 3, 2020
Everyone needs an army to protect them if they go to NYC. Take a bow, de Blasio and Cuomo. A city in ruination.
— Scott Cooper (@coop_pucks) September 3, 2020
He’s all set! The police union in your state endorsed him.
— Tara T (@TaraRI483) September 3, 2020
If he means that the streets are not secure and he may be shot, he is absolutely right.
If he is threatening the President, Toadface keeps on embarrassing himself every day more than the previous one.
— Max Pain (@nikodemuskell) September 3, 2020
— shepherdmom🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@amy_shepherd069) September 3, 2020
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
