President Donald Trump announced Friday a coronavirus vaccine will be available in April for the entire country, except New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo fired back Friday night. The president spoke at a press conference on Operation Warp Speed and vaccine distribution. “Millions of doses will soon be going out the door,” Trump said.
Trump said two vaccines could be approved by the end of the year and be available to all Americans a few months later, but then, the president suddenly said New York will not get its vaccine unless the governor approves it. “As soon as April the vaccine will be available to the entire general population with the exception of places like New York State, where, for political reasons, the governor decided to say, and I don’t think it’s good from a political standpoint, but he wants to take his time with the vaccine,” Trump said. “We won’t be delivering it to New York until we have authorization to do so, and that pains me to say that. This is a very successful, amazing vaccine and 90% and more. But, so the governor, Governor Cuomo will have to let us know what he’s ready for it.”
Cuomo has said he won’t take the Trump administration’s word that the vaccine is safe.
“He doesn’t trust the fact that it’s this White House, this administration, so we won’t be delivering to New York until we have authorization to do so,” Trump said. “We can’t be delivering it to a state that won’t be giving it to its people immediately.”
The governor appeared on MSNBC to respond to the president’s comments.“Everything is personal with this president. There can’t be a disagreement on principle, and he retaliates,” Cuomo said.Cuomo has appointed a panel to examine any vaccine before its distributed in the state.“An overwhelming percentage of Americans are worried about political interference in the vaccination process, in the approval process by the president,” the governor said.
