Cuomo Wishes He Had Acted Sooner On COVID-19 Pandemic

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) speaks at a press conference in New York on March 30, 2020. (Photo by John Lamparski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) expressed regret on Monday that he and other leaders across the world hadn’t responded to the COVID-19 virus more quickly when it began emerging in China at the end of 2019.

“When we heard in December that China had a virus problem, and China said basically, ‘It was under control, don’t worry,’ we should’ve worried,” Cuomo told Axios reporter Jonathan Swan in a Monday evening broadcast.

The governor, whose state has by far the highest number of COVID-19 cases, asserted that the rest of the world should have verified China’s claim back then and discovered that it was a much bigger problem than the country let on.

“I wish someone stood up and blew the bugle,” Cuomo said. “And if no one was going to blow the bugle, I would feel much better if I was a bugle blower last December and January.”

“Even though no one danced to the music, I would feel better sitting here today saying, ‘I blew the bugle about Wuhan province in January,'” he continued. “I can’t say that.”

Watch Cuomo below:

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: