New York governor to discuss testing controversy with Trump

The governor of New York State, who has alternated criticism and compliments with Donald Trump since the start of the epidemic, said on Thursday that he would speak to him about the problem of testing capacities during their meeting on Tuesday, a subject of controversy between state governors and the US president.

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Mr Trump says states now have everything they need to conduct large-scale testing, a condition necessary to accurately assess the extent of the pandemic and then revive economic activity.

But the governors of many states, including Mr. Cuomo, deny and ask for the help of the federal government to obtain the necessary supplies from the industrialists, in the United States or abroad.

“It’s a bit of a dialogue of the deaf,” Cuomo said. “I understand the federal government’s argument, that it depends on the states, and I think it depends largely on the states. Except that the federal government then gives us a whole presentation on what it does in terms of testing (…) So let’s coordinate who does what ”.

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo has gained popularity with the pandemic hitting New York City more than any other state in the United States, with about a third of the more than 42,000 deaths in the United States.

Many Democrats and public health experts have praised his management of the crisis and his efforts at pedagogy and clarity, which contrast with the sometimes more confused press briefings of the Republican president.

Asked Tuesday during a press briefing on how he would manage this potentially delicate meeting, the first between these two New Yorkers since the start of the crisis, Mr. Cuomo replied: “Life is delicate, being in government is delicate. I will tell you how I handle delicate things: I have been telling the truth (..) since day one. And besides, he (Trump) does the same. ”

Mr. Cuomo did not say if he would discuss financial aid with the president. For days now, he and the mayor of New York have been asking the Republican-dominated US Senate to endorse a plan granting billions of dollars in direct aid to the most affected states.

Both the state and the city of New York expect a huge fiscal shortfall from the shutdown of economic activities – over $ 7 billion for the city, more than $ 15 billion for the state – which could lead to a drastic reduction in public services in the months to come.

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