Trump and Cuomo trade barbs after president says New York is welcome to go to the 'END of the vaccine list' because the governor doesn't trust the FDA - and he wishes the state trusted feds on nursing homes
President Trump and Andrew Cuomo have traded barbs after the president criticized him and suggested New York could be last to receive a coronavirus vaccine because the governor wants to conduct its own tests to make sure it was safe.
On Thursday, Cuomo said that New York state would conduct its own verification of any federally approved vaccination, citing concerns that the vetting process is overly politicized.
But on Friday evening, Trump slammed the governor for his comments while further denigrating Cuomo over New York state's performance on care homes where ar least 6,600 people have died from coronavirus.
'Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York wants to put New York at the END of the Vaccine List in that he doesn't trust the @FDA or Federal Government, even though the Vaccines are being developed by the finest Labs in the World. Wish he trusted us on Nursing Homes!' the president wrote.
President Trump tweeted on Friday night blasting New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying he 'wanted New York to be last on the list to receive the vaccine'
Trump's tweet came after Cuomo said on Thursday that New York state would conduct its own review of any coronavirus vaccines approved by the FDA
Speaking on MSNBC on Friday night, Cuomo said the he saw Trump's tweet as a veiled threat that his state would be the last to receive the vaccine.
'Is Donald Trump saying that he can somehow withhold a vaccine from the state of New York?' host joy Reid asked.
'That's called a threat. That's called, 'I will put New York at the end of the list.' That's what he's trying to say. But look, I don't trust the president and I don't trust the FDA. The American people don't trust the FDA,' Cuomo said.
'They denied COVID was here. They're denying it now. The doctor is exactly right, Joy. They're actually doing fewer tests. Florida now does fewer tests than they did two months ago. This is the Trump doctrine. Do fewer tests so you will show fewer cases. Remember he said if you test less, we'll have fewer cases. That's what he's doing,' Cuomo continued.
'Trump has politicized this entire situation and overridden health and science with politics. When we look back at this, it is reprehensible. We lose more people than the UK, France, Italy combined every day. It's disgusting. '
Minutes after phoning into the cable news channel, Cuomo tweeted similar thoughts.
'Mr. President, stop making illegal threats. Maybe you will wake up your DOJ. You said yourself that the FDA was making 'a political move' on vaccines. Surely Americans can't trust a political FDA. Don't you remember saying that? I guess it's hard to keep track of all the lies,' Cuomo wrote.
He quickly followed it up with another tweet moment later.
'You want us to trust you on Covid? FACT: Your Covid record: 203,000 deaths. More Americans die every day from Covid than in China, Italy, France, the UK, and Spain COMBINED. Are all of those leaders better than you?'
.@joyannreid: "Is Donald Trump saying that he can somehow withhold a vaccine from the state of New York?"@NYGovCuomo: "That's called a threat. That's called, 'I will put New York at the end of the list.' That's what he's trying to say. But look, I don't trust the president." pic.twitter.com/GujhHGEPkr
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) September 25, 2020
.@joyannreid: "Is Donald Trump saying that he can somehow withhold a vaccine from the state of New York?"@NYGovCuomo: "That's called a threat. That's called, 'I will put New York at the end of the list.' That's what he's trying to say. But look, I don't trust the president." pic.twitter.com/GujhHGEPkr
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he saw President Trump's tweet that the state might be last to receive a vaccine as an 'illegal threat'
Cuomo's first tweet was quickly followed up with a second, above, which questioned the president's success rate at dealing with coronavirus
On Thursday, Cuomo, a Democrat, said he feared the US Food and Drug Administration is facing political pressure from the White House to approve a vaccine before the November 3 presidential election.
'The first question is, is the vaccine safe? Frankly, I'm not going to trust the federal government's opinion,' Cuomo said during a press conference on Thursday.
'New York State will have its own review when the federal government is finished with their review and says it's safe.'
The governor, who has repeatedly criticized Trump and his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, told reporters he was going to form a review committee to advise the state on the safety of a vaccine.
Speaking on MSNBC on Friday night New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he saw Trump's tweet as a vailed threat that his state would be the last to receive the vaccine
There are more than 170 coronavirus vaccine candidates in various stages of development around the globe, according to the World Health Organization.
At least 10 are currently in large-scale trials in humans in the US and around the world to prove the jabs are both safe and effective.
Cuomo said he was alarmed when Trump said earlier this week that the White House 'may or may not' authorize new FDA rules hardening clinical trial standards needed for vaccine approval.
'That sounds like a political move,' Trump said of the news and hinted that the White House may reject the FDA's plans.
'I don't see why it should be delayed further. That is a lot of lives you're talking about,' the commander-in-chief added.
The review committee will advise New York on the safety and efficacy of the first jab to receive emergency use authorization (file photo)
Cuomo said the comments showed the president is 'in dispute' with the agency.
'The FDA says they want to make the approval more rigorous, more transparent. The president says they're trying to politicize it,' he said.
'Why would the FDA be politicizing the approval? Between the president and the FDA, only one entity is engaged in the political process and is headed for the Election Day. It's not the FDA.'
Cuomo says the review panel will be compromised of physicians, researchers and public health experts who will review the same data the FDA does.
He says the committee will advise him 'so I can look at the camera and I can say to New Yorkers that it's safe to take.'
New York state plans to create a review committee under the direction of its Department of Health to vet any coronavirus vaccine approved by President Donald Trump's administration
When it comes to care homes in New York state, the coronavirus exacted a punishing toll.
New York state officials report that at least 6,656 residents in care homes died, though that number is an undercount that doesn't include patients who died after being transferred to hospitals.
New York health officials have conducted nearly 1,900 inspections at the state's 613 nursing homes and 540 adult care facilities since March 1 and found safety shortcomings at 77 nursing homes during the pandemic.
It included basic infection-control violations like failing to have staff wear masks or wash their hands, according to records and state officials.
State and federal inspection records show that about half a dozen homes were cited for failing to isolate COVID-19 patients from residents who didn't have the virus.
At least 20 were cited over staff neglecting to wash their hands or properly use face masks, gloves or gowns.
In New York, many nursing homes struggled with high death rates due to the COVID-19 outbreak and resulted in more than 6,600 deaths
Cuomo announced in April that homes could face $10,000 fines per violation or lose their license for failing to follow the rules.
Inspectors found infection-control violations at 62 nursing homes - or about one in 10 in the state.
The 200-bed Harlem Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New York City was fined $24,000 after a May inspection found infection-control problems, including patients not wearing masks
Nursing homes are still struggling to obtain enough staff and protective gear while sorting out sometimes-conflicting state and federal regulations.
New York now requires patients to test negative for the coronavirus before they are admitted to nursing homes. It has eased restrictions on visitors who might bring the disease in with them but requires that facility staff get tested weekly and have access to a 60-day supply of protective gear.
In the early months of the outbreak in New York, some nursing homes had problems acquiring enough protective equipment or were lax about distributing it to staff or patients.
The 200-bed Harlem Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New York City was fined $24,000 after a May inspection found infection-control problems, including patients not wearing masks.
In addition to infection-control violations, inspectors cited at least eight nursing homes for failing to accurately report COVID-19 deaths to the state or for letting the relatives of patients wait days and weeks to learn about new infections and deaths within facilities.