Cuomo: ‘We’re Not Celebrating’ New York’s Handling of COVID

On Thursday’s “CNN Newsroom,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) denied that he is celebrating New York’s handling of the coronavirus, but is noting that the people of New York flattened the curve and stated that “what happened in New York didn’t need to happen. It was a clear federal failure.”

Cuomo said, “The CDC is a federal agency. It’s the president’s agency. And they admitted in their report today, clearly, that the virus came, the federal government missed it. They were all looking at China. The virus had gone from China to Europe, it mutated in Europe, it came to New York. They traced the strains back to Europe. And the president talks about his travel ban against China and the travel ban against Europe. It was too little, too late. He closed the barn door after the proverbial horse was gone. And what happened in New York didn’t need to happen. It was a clear federal failure.”

Cuomo later responded to criticism he has received, including from CNN host Jake Tapper, for his recent public statements and the poster on New York’s handling of the coronavirus that he released, by stating, “We’re not celebrating at all. That was Mr. Tapper’s misconstruction and his own political interpretation, whichever you want allowed. No. Not at all. What we’re saying is, New Yorkers did step up and did flatten the curve. That is a fact.”

(h/t Fox News)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett