Cuomo Should Pay—Big League—for His Trump

Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021 after being accused of sexually harassing 13 women, has recently attempted to shift blame for COVID-19 deaths in New York onto former President Donald Trump. In an op-ed, Cuomo claimed that Trump's leadership failure contributed to the loss of 1.2 million lives in the U.S. However, the nearly 13,000 deaths in New York nursing homes were largely due to Cuomo's own policies as governor. Cuomo's directive prohibited nursing homes from requiring COVID-19 testing for hospitalized residents before their admission, a decision that was met with immediate warnings from medical professionals about the potential for increased transmission of the virus. Despite these warnings, Cuomo's administration insisted on compliance with the directive. The consequences of Cuomo's decisions became evident as local hospitals transferred COVID-19 patients into nursing homes, leading to a significant rise in deaths among vulnerable populations. Additionally, Cuomo's refusal to provide protective gear to nursing homes and his allowance for COVID-positive staff to work in these facilities exacerbated the crisis. As the pandemic unfolded, Cuomo had the option to utilize the Comfort ship and Javits Center to isolate COVID-positive seniors, but he neglected these resources. Ultimately, Cuomo's actions resulted in a tragic loss of life, and he now faces scrutiny and calls for accountability from the families of the victims and lawmakers alike.