New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is adamant that President Donald Trump’s administration has failed to acknowledge the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
NBC’s Chuck Todd asked Cuomo to weigh in on Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Alex Azar’s belief contact tracing issues are the responsibility of the states and whether or not this second surge in coronavirus cases was preventable.
“If you listen to what the secretary said, if you listen to what the president says, what they said at the White House briefing, they’re saying what they said three months ago,” Cuomo said.
He added, “They’re basically in denial about the problem. They don’t want to tell the American people the truth.”
Watch his comments below:
WATCH: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says there was a "failed effort to stop the first wave in the country." #MTP #IfItsSunday@NYGovCuomo: The Trump administration "is in denial about the problem."
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 28, 2020
They are telling states "you're on your own." pic.twitter.com/YJjUS65CH0
Cuomo expressed his belief the nation is still in the first wave, and this is just a continuation of the first wave rather than a second wave.
“It was a failed effort to stop the first wave in the country,” Cuomo said. “And as you pointed out, New York is in a totally different place.”
New York was once the epicenter of the outbreak, but has since seen a decline in the number of coronavirus cases.
As of Saturday, Cuomo reported a continued steady decline in the state’s hospitalization and death rates.
Less than one percent of Friday’s coronavirus tests were positive.
Cuomo noted there is no federal response except for supporting the states.
“I knew what they were saying, ‘you’re on your own.’ It’s not a good feeling but it’s sort of liberating,” Cuomo said.
He added, “So in New York, we just handled it totally differently. We handled it on our own, communication, clear, as you mentioned every day, and then we came up with a plan and did the testing and did the isolation, and that makes a difference.”