New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Blasted For Blaming COVID Deaths on Trump Administration

New York has the biggest death toll (almost 43,000) of all the states from the disease and experienced a shortage of personal protective equipment such as masks and shields for doctors and nurses when the pandemic broke out. At the beginning of the outbreak, Cuomo was reportedly berated by the Trump administration for the slow response.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo was criticised for his statement about the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with the media, the Democrat blamed the Trump administration for the state’s death toll from the infectious disease, describing it as "incompetent".

"Incompetent government kills people. More people died than needed to die in COVID. That’s the truth," the governor said in an interview with MSNBC.

The statement was quickly seized upon by social media users, who said the governor “confessed” that he is himself guilty.

So he’s admitting his guilt finally

— Pucking Off (Jason Scales) (@PuckingOff) January 27, 2021

Careful, Andy. This comment/statement just might come back and bite on the behind. Just sayin'.

jvb

— The Burger Law Firm (@johnvburger) January 26, 2021

​Others said Cuomo is looking for a scapegoat and said he won’t be re-elected.

Totally incompetent and looking for a scapegoat. He committed mass genocide by his actions and should be terminated permanently.

— Harry Hamilton (@HarryHa58260826) January 27, 2021

This Governors political career is going down like a meteor,I can almost see a tail.

— mike fleischer (@mikefleischer2) January 27, 2021

​Even fellow members of his party took issue with Cuomo’s statement. Assemblyman Ron Kim accused the governor of engaging in gaslighting.

"We are just asking for basic facts and for him to constantly go on national TV to present himself as the governor of facts and transparency… at this point is beyond reprehensible. Every time I see him talk like that I just want to turn the TV off," Kim said.

An investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal in September found that Cuomo’s decision to delay the shutdown of the biggest city in the United States contributed to the high countrywide death toll from coronavirus. And a report conducted by the Department of Health revealed that the governor’s decision to force nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients led to thousands of deaths among the elderly. As of 18 January, there have been 8,671 reported COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

The governor’s spokesman Rich Azzopardi blamed these deaths on members of the staff who contracted the disease, but displayed no symptoms and hence infected the elderly.

"These are very small politicians trying to make these very mediocre headlines and they should be ashamed of themselves. Excuse me, we’re still trying to fight this pandemic," Azzopardi told the media.