President Trump Begins Process Of Defunding New York City, Gov. Cuomo Calls Move 'An Illegal Stunt'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night he is beginning the process of defunding New York City.
The president has been running on a law-and-order agenda, but now he's upped the ante by beginning the process of defunding New York City, denying the city some $7 billion, CBS2's Dick Brennan reports.
In memo to the U.S. Attorney General and the office of management and budget, Trump claimed that anarchy had broken out in some of our states and cities. He cited Portland, Seattle, Washington and New York City, writing, "My administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones."
He said New York City officials have allowed the violence to spike and blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council for voting to cut funding to the police, adding, "It is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America's cities."
President Trump has actively sought to punish NYC since day one.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 2, 2020
He let COVID ambush New York.
He refuses to provide funds that states and cities MUST receive to recover.
He is not a king. He cannot "defund" NYC.
It's an illegal stunt.
"It's cheap, it's political, it's gratuitous, and it's illegal," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
The governor in a conference call Wednesday night mocked the president in perhaps his most scathing fashion ever.
"New York City knows him for the joke that he is. The people who know him best like him least," he said.
The governor says the president wants to kill New York City, and he says he's no longer welcome in this town.
"He can't come back to New York. He can't. He's gonna walk down the street in New York? Forget bodyguards, he better have an army if he thinks he's gonna walk down the street in New York," Cuomo said.
A spokesperson for Mayor de Blasio tweeted, "As much as Donald Trump wants New York City to drop dead, we will never let this stand. This has nothing to do with 'law and order'. This is a racist campaign stunt out of the Oval Office to attack millions of people of color."
The White House memo instructs the budget director to issue guidance in 30 days to come up with ways to redirect funds away from so-called anarchist jurisdictions.
Cuomo says the president can't override the laws governing federal funding, and he believes the president is making a political statement more than anything else.
While @realDonaldTrump spent this year hiding from COVID-19, New York City led the fight back.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 3, 2020
Now we're trying to recover and he's making unconstitutional, political threats against us.
Mr. President, we'll see you in court. We've beaten you there before and we'll do it again.
Mayor de Blasio adds, "We'll see you in court."
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