De Blasio To Trump: ‘Are You Telling New York City To Drop Dead?’

TOPLINE

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio’s calls on President Trump to provide federal assistance increased in ferocity at a Sunday press briefing after announcing last week a $2 billion budget slash in city municipal services, as the resources are redirected to fight coronavirus. 

KEY FACTS

CRITICAL QUOTE

“If he would just say the word, the Senate would jump,” said de Blasio of Trump allocating funds for New York City. “But the president has been silent. So, President Trump, what’s going on? Cat got your tongue? You’re usually really talkative. You usually have an opinion on everything. How on earth do you not have an opinion on aid to America’s cities and states?”

KEY BACKGROUND

On Sunday Cuomo said that infections, hospitalizations and intubation rates in New York state are falling, while de Blasio said the same day that COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York City have increased. New York City remains the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic with 134,436 cases and 8,892 deaths out of the 747,806 cases and 39,425 deaths nationwide. And though new cases are falling, Cuomo said Sunday “this is only halftime” at a new daily death low of 507. 

TANGENT

De Blasio’s rhetoric references a New York Daily News headline from the 1970s financial crisis, when President Gerald Ford refused to bail out New York City: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.”

FURTHER READING

Virus Forces A ‘Wartime’ Budget On N.Y.C., With $2 Billion In Cuts (New York Times)

Governors From Both Parties Slam Trump’s Claims About Testing: ‘Delusional’ And ‘Not Accurate’ (Forbes)

Cuomo: New York Appears To Be ‘Past High Point’ (Forbes)

Cuomo: ‘If You Want States To Reopen, We Need Funding’ (Forbes)

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