Cuomo Threatens to Sue the Federal Government If Trump Forces Him to ‘Reopen’ New York

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday morning that he would defy an order from President Donald Trump to “reopen” his state if he felt it wasn’t safe to do so, a major refutation of Trump’s claim on Monday that he has complete control over the states when it comes to ending social distancing and returning Americans to work.

On Monday, Cuomo and the governors of six other Northeastern states announced plans to form a working group to cooperate on efforts to reopen. The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington formed a similar pact. In a press briefing later that day, Trump denied that these moves undermined the federal government, claiming that he had “total authority” over when states reopen.

“They can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States,” Trump said.

READ: Trump’s Monday coronavirus briefing was his most deranged one yet

Cuomo said in a Tuesday CNN appearance that Trump’s claim directly contradicts the Constitution. “We would have had King George Washington, and we didn’t have King George Washington. And we don’t have King Trump; we have President Trump,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo said he would sue the federal government if it came to it

“If he ordered me to reopen in a way that would endanger the public health of the people of my state, I wouldn’t do it,” Cuomo said. “We would have a constitutional challenge between the states and the federal government, and that would go into the courts. That would be the worst possible thing he could do at this moment, would be to act dictatorial.”

“Keep the politics out of it,” Cuomo added. “I have 10,000 deaths in my state. This virus didn’t kill Democrats or Republicans; it killed Americans, and it killed New Yorkers. And I’m not going to go down a political road.”

Later Tuesday morning, Trump responded to Cuomo’s remarks with a tweet criticizing him for asking the federal government for help.

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Cover: Albany, NY, United States: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) speaking at a press Conference at the State Capitol. (Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)