NEW YORK (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday dismissed President Donald Trump's executive orders as "laughable" and another chapter in the federal government's botched response to the coronavirus as he praised New Yorkers for mostly good behavior that has reduced the infection rate in his state.
The governor was particularly critical of Trump's Saturday announcement that states must pay part of $400 weekly unemployment insurance benefits.
He told a telephone news conference that Trump's plan would likely cost New York state $4 billion.
"The concept of saying to states, you pay 25 percent of the insurance, is just laughable," Cuomo said. "It's just an impossibility. So none of this is real on the federal side. This is going to have to be resolved."
He said he didn't know if Trump was "genuine in thinking the executive order is a resolution or if this is just a tactic in the negotiation. But this is irreconcilable for the state. And I expect this is just a chapter in the book of Washington COVID mismanagement."
