Trump says governors 'have to treat us well' if they want assistance during coronavirus pandemic

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/CNN)

President Trump said Tuesday he's working well with governors across the country as both the federal government and the states battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump singled out his working relationship with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), with whom he's clashed in the past over issues like homelessness. And everyone else, it seems, remains in communication with each other and the White House as the country develops some semblance of a coordinated plan. But, there's a catch.

The president said governors can't simply tell him they want assistance and expect the administration to comply in the blink of an eye. Instead, he suggested governors should show some appreciation first.

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He pointed to New York in this instance. The state with the country's highest number of COVID-19 cases is trying to get more respirators, but Trump says Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) can't blame the White House because he had a chance to order the supplies two years ago.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.