Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized President Donald Trump’s refusal to support local bailouts on Tuesday, even comparing him to early Depression-era President Herbert Hoover who was unprepared for the massive economic downturn.
“Trump wasn’t there when we needed the testing to stop this horrible disease, and now he is talking about not helping us in our hour of need,” said de Blasio during his daily novel coronavirus press conference. De Blasio referred to recent comments made by the president where he said it would be unfair for Congress to pass bailouts for states since the states most in need during the pandemic are run by Democrats.
Mayor de Blasio has been pushing for a $7.4 million bailout to close the city budget gap and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has also pushed for financial assistance.
“I think Congress is inclined to do a lot of things but I don’t think they’re inclined to do bailouts. A bailout is different than, you know, reimbursing for the plague,” Trump told The New York Post during a sit-down interview in the Oval Office.
De Blasio called Trump a hypocrite given Congress supporting a $2 trillion stimulus package which included a $58 million bailout of U.S. Airlines.
“He’s a pure hypocrite given how much money he has put in the hands of corporations and the wealth already,” de Blasio said on Tuesday. “He says it’s not fair to the Republicans … he is putting partisanship ahead of the needs of a nation … Even Herbert Hoover in the worst moment didn’t try to pit Americans against Americans, one part of the country against another in crisis,” de Blasio continued. “A leader is supposed to bring people together.”
This story originally appeared on amny.com.
