“It’s not fair to the Republicans because all the states that need help—they’re run by Democrats in every case,“ the president said. ”Florida is doing phenomenal, Texas is doing phenomenal, the Midwest is, you know, fantastic—very little debt.”
He noted that Illinois, New York, and California—which are run by Democratic governors and have Democratic majorities in state legislatures—have “tremendous debt.”
“I don’t think the Republicans want to be in a position where they bail out states that are, that have been mismanaged over a long period of time,” Trump said.
Democrats have said that approving funding for municipalities and states is a priority for the fourth piece of stimulus legislation.
Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who serves as the chairman of the National Governors Association, said Congress should approve funding to states.
Hogan stressed that if Congress doesn’t appropriate around $500 billion for states to meet budget problems, then states will have to make major reductions to “critically important services” around the United States.
Trump’s comments contrast with those of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who in April criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) statement that states should declare bankruptcy.
McConnell’s remark, according to Cuomo, was “the most un-American, most uncharitable, ugly statement of all time” and said New York contributes more taxes and revenue than it gets back.
But Trump told the Post the state has “hostile” senators, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who “come in and want things.”
“It’s not like a working environment that you want to be involved with. I never even had a phone call from Schumer or Kirsten,” he said.
