New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) unleashed on Donald Trump after the president announced Friday that a new COVID-19 vaccine would be released as soon as April “to the entire general population — with the exception of places like New York state.”
Trump claimed New York wouldn’t get the vaccine right away because its governor would hold up distribution for “political reasons.” Cuomo “wants to take his time with the vaccine,” the president said. “He doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from.”
Cuomo snapped back on CNN that “first of all, luckily,” Trump “won’t be here” in April to manipulate vaccine distribution.
“What the president says is just untrue,” the governor told Wolf Blitzer. “Here are the facts: We trust the drug companies,” said Cuomo, noting that Pfizer, which has a promising experimental vaccine, is a “great New York company, actually.” (Check out the video above.)
“What Americans don’t trust is President Trump. Every poll has shown, Wolf, yours included, that over half of the American people are afraid” that the vaccine approval process was politicized to serve Trump during his campaign.
Cuomo said that a number of states, including New York, have set up panels of scientists to review the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of any vaccine “to give people confidence in the approval process ... to establish the credibility they don’t have in President Trump.”
“There will be no delay,” the governor said, adding that the review process would be “simultaneous” and would not involve retesting. The review wouldn’t hold up delivery of the vaccine unless a panel finds that something in the FDA approval process is wrong, he added.
Without confidence in a vaccine, fewer people will take it, which would undermine its value, the governor warned.
Cuomo wasn’t surprised by Trump’s attack. “I’ve probably been his greatest critic for four years,” he said.
“He tries to bully governors. He uses government as a retaliatory tool. As you know, Wolf, New Yorkers are not going to get bullied.”
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
- Stay up to date with our live blog as we cover the COVID-19 pandemic
- What you need to know about face masks right now
- How long are asymptomatic carriers contagious?
- Lost your job due to coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know.
- How to switch off from work when home is your office
- 8 sleep tips if coronavirus anxiety is keeping you up at night
- How long does coronavirus live in the air?
- The HuffPost guide to working from home
- What coronavirus questions are on your mind right now? We want to help you find answers.
- Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19. Support journalism without a paywall — and keep it free for everyone — by becoming a HuffPost member today
