Toward the end of the Monday evening interview with Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo accidentally got into a quibble with his older brother after using the word “curfew” when asking about the possibility of a state-wide shutdown.
“Curfew, I don’t like the word curfew. Dad tried to have a curfew for me, I never got past the resentment,” Governor Cuomo told his younger brother. “That’s the least of your problems by the way,” replied the younger Cuomo. “Your problems with the curfew, that’s the least of your problems.”
The governor also said New York could see “more tightening if the numbers don’t slow,” before responding to his younger brother with a family anecdote.
Governor Cuomo: I never — you violated curfew all the time, caused much pain, but that’s a different story.
Chris Cuomo: I don’t believe in rules.
The CNN anchor then told the governor he should remember to call mom, prompting the governor to tell the younger Cuomo he wasn’t even the favorite child.
Chris Cuomo: Governor Andrew Cuomo, I appreciate you coming on this show. I love you; I’m proud of what you’re doing; I know you’re working hard for your state, but no matter how hard you’re working, there’s always time to call mom. She wants to hear from you. Just so you know.
Governor Cuomo: Yeah, I called mom. I called mom just before I came on this show. By the way, she said I was her favorite. Good news is, she said you were her second favorite — second favorite son, Christopher.
Chris Cuomo: No, we both know neither of us are mom’s first or second favorite in the family, I can’t believe you’re lying to my audience; you’ve blown the credibility of the entire interview, I should have ended it before.
Governor Cuomo: Second favorite son. Listen to the words,;listen to the words.
Chris Cuomo: Politicians are very tricky, throw a word in there after the first time you said it, creates a lot of doubt. But I appreciate you clarifying.
Governor Cuomo: Not me, not me. Straight across the plate, straight across the plate.
Chris Cuomo: Stay strong, stay for your people, and I appreciate you being here, and I love you brother.
A video of the exchange was uploaded to Twitter by JM Rieger, a video editor for The Washington Post:
CHRIS CUOMO: There’s always time to call mom. She wants to hear from you. Just so you know.
ANDREW CUOMO: I called mom just before I came on this show. By the way, she said I was her favorite. Good news is she said you are her second favorite. Second favorite son, Christopher. pic.twitter.com/wogd0oP2tb
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) March 17, 2020
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Governor Cuomo published an op-ed Sunday calling on the federal government to deregulate the FDA and Center for Disease Control to make coronavirus testing easier. The governor also called on Trump to implement uniform shutdown standards across the country, and authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to build temporary make-shift hospitals.
Trump replied to Cuomo Tuesday, saying that it didn’t make sense to implement uniform quarantine standards, on account that the coronavirus has affected regions and cities to varying degrees.
“Cuomo wants ‘all states to be treated the same,’” said Trump. “But all states aren’t the same. Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all. New York is a very big ‘hotspot’, West Virginia has, thus far, zero cases. Andrew, keep politics out of it,” said Trump.
Cuomo wants “all states to be treated the same.” But all states aren’t the same. Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all. New York is a very big “hotspot”, West Virginia has, thus far, zero cases. Andrew, keep politics out of it….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2020
In a press release Monday morning, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) advocated for mailing a one-time $1,000 check to every American citizen as an emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak and widespread closures.
According to The Daily Wire, a variation on the proposal has been gaining momentum within the Trump administration, and Secretary of the Treasure Steve Mnuchin told White House reporters Tuesday that the federal government was looking into sending checks to many Americans within the next two weeks.
“I think it’s clear, we don’t need to send people who make a million dollars a check,” said Mnuchin. “We want to make sure Americans get money in their pockets quickly, that small businesses have access to money.”