CENTER
CENTER AND USNS COMFORT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS ALSO WATCHING THIS PRESS
CONFERENCE.
HE TWEETED 13 MINUTES AGO,
QUOTE, GOVERNOR CUOMO SHOULD
SPEND MORE TIME DOING AND LESS
TIME COMPLAINING.
GET OUT THERE AND GET THE JOB
DONE, STOP TALKING.
WE BUILT YOU THOUSANDS OF
HOSPITAL BEDS THAT YOU DIDN'T
NEED OR USE, GAVE LARGE NUMBERS
OF VENTILATORS AND HELPED WITH
TESTING.
IT GOES ON A LITTLE MORE.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD
RESPOND TO THAT.
>> GOOD.
LET'S RESPOND TO THE PRESIDENT.
FIRST OF ALL, IF HE'S SITTING
HOME WATCHING TV, MAYBE HE
SHOULD GET UP AND GO TO WORK,
RIGHT?
SECOND, LET'S KEEP EMOTION AND
POLITICS OUT OF THIS AND
PERSONAL EG FORKSZ WE CAN,
BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT THE
PEOPLE, AND IT'S ABOUT OUR JOB.
AND LET'S TRY TO FOCUS ON THAT.
I HAVE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT
WHEN WE WERE FIGHTING FOR THE
ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR OUR
HOSPITAL SYSTEM, THAT THE
PRESIDENT MOVED VERY QUICKLY,
AND I APPLAUDED HIM FOR IT, AND
HE BROUGHT THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS, AND HE BROUGHT THEM
UP TO BUILD THE JAVITS CENTER
CAPACITY.
2500 BEDS.
HE'S WRONG THAT IT HASN'T BEEN
USED.
ABOUT 800 PEOPLE HAVE GONE
THROUGH JAVITS.
TO DISMISS 800 PEOPLE IS
DISRESPECTFUL.
BUT WE DIDN'T USE 2500 BEDS
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REACH THE
CAPACITY.
WHEN HE SAYS, WELL, WE BUILT
IT, WE DIDN'T NEED IT, IT
SOUNDS LIKE THE SUGGESTION IS,
WELL, IT WAS A REQUEST BY THE
STATE THAT WASN'T VALID.
IF HE DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE
2500 BEDS WAS NECESSARY, I
DON'T BELIEVE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE HELPED
BUILD 2500 BEDS.
AND THE NUMBER CAME FROM A
PROJECTION FROM HIM.
HIM.
SEE, HE SHOULD READ THE REPORTS
HE ISSUES.
THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS
TASK FORCE HAD EVEN NOR MOUSE
-- PROJECTED IN THE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE.
THE CDC, WHICH IS THE
PRESIDENT, PROJECTED IN THE
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
SO THE PROJECTIONS WERE HIGH.
THEY WERE THE PRESIDENT'S
PROJECTIONS.
SO FOR HIM TO SAY TO ANYONE,
WELL, YOU RELIED ON PROJECTIONS
AND THE PROJECTIONS WERE WRONG,
THEY'RE YOUR PROJECTIONS, MR.
PRESIDENT.
SO WERE WE FOOLISH FOR RELYING
ON YOUR PROJECTIONS, MR.
PRESIDENT?
CDC, CORONAVIRUS WHITE HOUSE
TASK FORCE, THAT'S YOU.
WHITE HOUSE.
THAT'S YOU.
WE RELIED ON YOUR PROJECTIONS.
OKAY.
SHOULDN'T HAVE RELIED ON YOUR
PROJECTIONS.
ACTUALLY, I THINK THE PRESIDENT
HAS A BETTER ARGUMENT, WHICH
IS, YES, WE BUILT 2500 BEDS,
BECAUSE THE PROJECTIONS SAID IT
COULD GET THAT BAD, AND BECAUSE
WE WORKED TOGETHER, WE
FLATTENED THE CUFF, AND WE
DIDN'T HIT THE BRO JOKE SHUN,
WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
BUT DON'T SUGGEST THAT ANYONE
MADE A MISTAKE RELYING ON YOUR
PROJECTIONS.
OR ON CORNELL, COLUMBIA,
McKINSEY, ET CETERA.
SECOND, I HAVE SAID A NUMBER OF
TIMES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT AM I
SUPPOSED TO DO, SEND A BOUQUET
OF FLOWERS?
THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL ON.
>>> VOICE.
THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL ON
SENDING THE U.S. NAVY SHIP
COMFORT.
THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN
INTERVENING WITH CHINA, AND
GETTING PPE EQUIPMENT OUT OF
CHINA.
THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN
HELPING US FIND VENTILATORS.
I SAID THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU.
NOW, GOING FORWARD, WE'RE STILL
IN THE MIDST OF IT.
THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T WANT TO
HELP ON TESTING.
HE SAID 11 TIMES -- I SAID THE
ONE ISSUE WE NEED HELP WITH IS
TESTING.
HE SAID 11 TIMES, I DON'T WANT
TO GET INVOLVED IN TESTING.
IT'S TOO COMPLICATED, IT'S TOO
HARD.
I KNOW IT'S TOO COMPLICATED AND
IT'S TOO HARD.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED YOU TO HELP.
I CAN'T DO AN INTERNATIONAL
SUPPLY CHAIN.
HE WANTS TO SAY, WELL, I DID
ENOUGH.
NONE OF US HAVE DONE ENOUGH.
WE HAVEN'T, BECAUSE IT'S NOT
OVER.
SO YES, THANK YOU FOR THE
JAVITS, THANK YOU FOR THE U.S.
NAVY SHIP COMFORT.
BUT IT'S NOT OVER.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO.
AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THE
POSTURE, WELL, JUST SAY THANK
YOU FOR WHAT I'VE DONE, AND I'M
NOW OUT, I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING
ELSE, I'VE DONE MY PART.
WHAT IF I SAID TO THE PEOPLE OF
MY STATE, OKAY, I'M DONE, BY
THE WAY, I SAVED HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF LIVES, I'VE
FLATTENED THE CURVE, I CREATED
MORE HOSPITAL BEDS THAN ANYONE
EVER IMAGINED, I COORDINATED
THE ENTIRE STATE.
I'M DONE.
I'M DONE.
I'M GOING HOME.
I'M GOING TO GO SEE MY MOTHER,
SPEND TIME WITH MY KIDS, AND
I'M GOING TO GO FISHING IN
CONNECTICUT, BECAUSE THEIR
MARINAS ARE OPEN.
WHAT IF I SAID THAT?
THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING.
I'M DONE.
I DON'T WANT TO HELP ON
TESTING.
TESTING IS TOO HARD.
AND THE ONLY THING HE'S DOING,
LET'S BE HONEST, WELL, IT'S UP
TO THE STATES TO DO REOPENING.
BY THE WAY, IT WAS ALWAYS UP TO
THE STATES.
WHAT ARE YOU, GOING TO GRANT ME
WOULD THE CONSTITUTION GAVE ME
BEFORE YOU WERE BORN?
IT'S CALLED THE 10th AMENDMENT.
I DIDN'T NEED THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES TO TELL ME
I'M GOVERNOR.
AND DIDN'T NEED THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES TO TELL ME
THE POWERS OF A STATE.
PEOPLE DID THAT.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON, THOMAS
JEFFERSON, JAMES MADISON.
THEY ARE ARE THE ONES WOULD
GAVE ME THE POWER.
AND I DON'T NEED THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES TO READ
THE CONSTITUTION FOR ME.
MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE READ THE
CONSTITUTION BEFORE HE SAID HE
HAD THE POWER TO OPEN THE
STATES.
WHERE HE DID A VERY GRACEFUL
180, AND MANY PEOPLE ALLOWED
HIM TO DO THE GRACEFUL 180.
SEW NOW SAYS IT'S UP TO THE
GOVERNORS, WHICH HE SAID
REPEATEDLY NOW, YESTERDAY,
VERSION OF YESTERDAY.
AND NOW IT'S UP TO THE
GOVERNORS TO REOPEN.
OKAY.
I'M GOING TO REOPEN.
I GET IT.
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HELP ON
TESTING, WHICH IS A NATIONAL
PROBLEM AND REPLICATES THE SAME
CHAOS THAT YOU CREATED WITH
MEDICAL SUPPLIES BECAUSE FEMA
WASN'T READY.
BY THE WAY, I NEEDED A
STOCKPILE?
WHERE WAS YOUR STOCKPILE?
10,000 VENTILATORS FOR THE
NATION?
THAT WAS YOUR STOCKPILE?
WHERE YOUR PROJECTIONS, THE
FEDERAL PROJECTIONS SAID THEY
WOULD NEED DOUBLE THE HOSPITAL
CAPACITY OF THIS NATION.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
THE CDC SAYS DOUBLE THE
HOSPITAL CAPACITY OF THE
NATION.
THE MINIMUM PROJECTION WAS 2.4
MILLION HOSPITAL BEDS.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY HOSPITAL BEDS
WE HAVE IN THIS NATION?
900,000.
HIS PROJECTION SAYS 2.4 MILLION
HOSPITAL BEDS, THE WHOLE
HOSPITAL SYSTEM WAS ONLY 900,
AND HIS STOCKPILE HAS 10,000
VENTILATORS.
YOU WERE READY WITH YOUR
STOCKPILE?
DIDN'T YOU READ YOUR OWN CDC
PROJECTION?
DIDN'T YOU READ YOUR OWN
CORONAVIRUS PROTECTION?
SO THANK YOU AGAIN, MR.
PRESIDENT, FOR THE JAVITS.
THANK YOU FOR THE CORONAVIRUS
-- FOR THE U.S. NAVY SHIP
COMFORT, WHICH, BY THE WAY,
JUST DOING YOUR JOB AS
PRESIDENT.
IT'S NOT REALLY THANK YOU, LIKE
YOU'VE WROTE A CHECK YOURSELF.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.
WE HAVE TO GO FORWARD.
WE NEED HELP ON TESTING, AND WE
NEED FUNDING.
IT'S UP TO THE GOVERNORS.
IT'S UP TO THE STATES.
WELL, THEN, PROVIDE THE
FUNDING.
NO, THEY ONLY WANT TO PASS A
BILL THAT FUNDS THEIR SMALL
BUSINESS FUND, CALLED PPE,
THEIR SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO FUND THE SMALL
BUSINESS PROGRAM.
BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY AFTER
JUST SAYING THAT MONUMENTAL
TASK SUBPOENA TO THE INDIVIDUAL
GOVERNORS AND THE INDIVIDUAL
STATES?
I'M PROVIDING NO HELP, NO
$AANCE, NO FINANCIAL MONEY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SMALL
BUSINESSES NEED THE FUNDING.
BY THE WAY, NOW THAT AIRLINES
NEED A BAILOUT, BUT NOT THE
STATES?
WHY DON'T YOU SHOW AS MUCH
CONSIDERATION TO STATES AS YOU
DID TO YOUR BIG BUSINESSES?
AND TO YOUR AIRLINES?
RIGHT?
>> Reporter: DID YOU GUYS SPEAK
YESTERDAY OR THIS MORNING AFTER
HE --
>> NO.
>> Reporter: NO, YOU HAVEN'T
TALKED AT ALL?
>> AFTER HE WHAT?
>> Reporter: AFTER HE ANNOUNCED
THE MAY 1st REOPENING OF --
>> NO, HE DIDN'T ANNOUNCE
ANYTHING.
HE SAID IT'S UP TO THE STATES.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
AND IF YOU SAY IT'S UP TO THE
STATES, AND YOU JUST HOLD UP A
BIG MICROPHONE THAT CAN LISTEN
TO ALL THE GOVERNORS, YOU WILL
HEAR SOME GOVERNORS SAY I CAN
START TO REOPEN RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE SOME GOVERNORS ARE IN
PLAYS WHERE THEY DON'T AFTER
SERIOUS PROBLEM.
THEY NEVER DID.
BY THE WAY, SOME STATES NEVER
EVEN CLOSED DOWN.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A STATE THAT
HAS A DE MINIMIS ISSUE, YEAH,
THEN YOU CAN OPEN UP FASTER.
YOU CAN OPEN UP TOMORROW.
OUR CAN START OPENING UP
TOMORROW.
HE'S DOING NOTHING.
HE SAID IT'S UP TO THE STATES.
IT'S UP TO THE GOVERNORS, WHICH
IS WHAT IT ALWAYS WAS, BECAUSE
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE GOVERNORS'
POWER.
AND THEN HE SAYS THIS IS A 5-
PIECE PUZZLE.
NO, NO, THAT'S CALLED A MAP OF
THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S NOT A PUZZLE.
AND THOSE LINES ARE CALLED
STATES, AND THOSE STATES HAVE
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER.
REMEMBER, THE WAY THIS WHOLE
THING STARTS, THE COLONIES
CREATE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
SO INTRODUCTION TO
CONSTITUTIONAL THEORY AND
POLICY.
THE STATES HAVE THE POWER TO
OPEN.
THE STATES ARE OPENING.
ON THEIR OWN TIMELINES.
WE'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH
OUR NEIGHBORING STATES.
WESTERN STATES ARE
COORDINATING.
MIDDLE STATES ARE COORDINATING.
ALL HE'S DOING IS WALKING IN
FRONT OF THE PARADE, BUT HE HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TIMING
OF THE PARADE, RIGHT?
THE GOVERNORS ARE GOING TO OPEN
WHEN THEY THINK THEY SHOULD
POSSIBLY.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THERE'S TWO
THINGS THEY NEED HELP FROM.
THEY NEED HELP FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TWO.
THINGS.
HELP ON TESTING, BECAUSE STATES
CAN'T DO THAT, AND I DON'T WANT
TO REDO THE MAYHEM OF THE PPE
DEBACLE.
THE SECOND POINT, WE NEED
FUNDING TO DO IT.
AND THE WAY YOU LOVE TALKING
ABOUT HOW FUNDED EVERYTHING,
BIG BUSINESSES ARE ALL GETTING
BAILED OUT, AIRLINES ARE
GETTING BAILED OUT, BAILOUT,
BAILOUT, BAILOUT, ALL THE
TAXPAYERS' MONEY, STATE
GOVERNMENTS, WHICH ARE THE ONLY
ONES WHO ARE DOING THIS WHOLE
REOPENING, THEY'RE GOING NEED
FUNDING, RIGHT?
AND -- WELL, SHOW GRATITUDE.
HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WANT ME
TO SAY THANK YOU?
BUT I'M SAYING THANK YOU FOR
DOING YOUR JOB.
THIS WAS YOUR ROLE AS
PRESIDENT, OKAY?
SO THAT'S THE HONEST STATEMENT
OF FACT WITHOUT POLITICS I'M
NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING, I
HAVE NO AGENDA BUT DELIVERING
FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE.
AND WITHOUT EGO.
YOU WANT ME TO SAY THANK YOU?
THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB IN
HELPING BUILD JAVITS AND
SENDING THE U.S. NAVY SHIP
COMFORT.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN
A MODICUM OF FEDERAL
RESPONSIBILITY IN A NATIONAL
CRISIS, WHICH YOU KNOW IS A
NATIONAL CRISIS BECAUSE HE
DECLARED A FEDERAL EMERGENCY.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATE
IN A FEDERAL EMERGENCY.
AND THANK YOU FOR HELP BUILDING
JAVITS, 2500 BEDS, PURSUANT TO
YOUR PROJECTION.
YOUR PROJECTION.
AND IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH
YOUR PROJECTION, FIRE THE HEAD
OF THE CDC, FIRE THE WHITE
HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE
PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY DID THE
PROJECTIONS.
IN CASE HE FORGOT, OR DIDN'T
READ HIS CDC REPORT, JUST TO BE
PRECISE, MARCH 13TH, MARCH
13TH, SO WE'RE WELL INTO IT,
CDC SAYS 160 TO 214 MILLION
AMERICANS INFECTED.
THAT'S OVER HALF THE
POPULATION.
CDC.
POPULATION. CDC. 2.4 MILLION TO 21 MILLION
AMERICANS HOSPITALIZED.
2.4 MILLION, BOTTOM NUMBER, 21
MILLION AMERICANS HOSPITALIZED,
MARCH 13TH.
THE CDC.
2.4, OKAY.
LET'S SAY THEIR LOW NUMBER, 2.4
OR 10 TIMES 2. 4. THANK YOU FOR
THAT GREAT PROJECTION.
BUT, ANYWAY, LET'S TAKE THEIR
MINIMUM NUMBER, 2. 4. HOW MANY
HOSPITAL BEDS DO YOU HAVE?
900, CALL AT MILLION.
SO IT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES
WHAT YOUR CAPACITY, RIGHT?
WE'RE THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
WE HAVE A 5,000-BED CAPACITY.
BY THEIR PROJECTIONS WHAT DO WE
NEED?
150,000 BEDS.
BY THE WAY WHAT DID McKENZIE
SAY THAT WE NEEDED?
140,000 BEDS.
THEY GOT IT FROM THE CDC.
AS IT SAYS ON THE SCREEN.
THEY GOT IT FROM THE CDC.
THAT'S WHY WE BUILT 2500 BEDS
AT JAVITS, BECAUSE WE LISTENED
TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
AND IF WE WERE FOOLISH FOR
LISTENING TO YOU, THEN SHAME ON
US.