Elected Democrats in charge of cities and states afflicted by the virus — the very officials leading response efforts at the ground level — are praising President Trump’s handling of the crisis.
“His team is on it,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared during a recent press briefing. “They have been responsive late at night, early in the morning. And thus far, they have been doing everything that they can do, and I want to say thank you, and I want to say that I appreciate it.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom — normally one of the President’s most reliably vociferous critics — recently extolled the administration’s handling of the outbreak on the Grand Princess cruise ship, which had been stuck at sea for days as officials devised a plan for transferring the ship’s 3,500 passengers into immediate quarantine.
“He said, 'We're going to do the right thing, and you have my support,'” Newsom recalled after the passengers had safely disembarked from the Grand Princess. “He said everything that I could have hoped for ... And every single thing he said, they followed through on.”
What Newsom described is a model of efficient, non-partisan cooperation between state and federal authorities, which is precisely what the country needs at this uncertain time.
“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history,” the President noted during his Oval Office address.
He demonstrated his commitment to a unified national response to the coronavirus threat once again two days later by declaring a national emergency to ensure that we have the necessary resources to care for every American during this perilous time.
“No nation is more prepared or more equipped to handle this crisis,” President Trump assured the country, noting that we’ve even been able to provide substantial assistance to other countries.
The President received another vote of confidence from an equally unexpected source just a few days after Newsom’s adulatory remarks. This time, the praise came from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who normally has nothing but contempt for Donald Trump.
“I disagree with President Trump on many things, but I actually think the travel ban piece of his strategy is in many ways warranted,” the mayor said Thursday in response to the President’s decision to temporarily ban all travel from Europe.
While de Blasio acknowledged that the travel restrictions would have unpleasant economic consequences, he insisted that such a step was “necessary” to prevent a far worse situation from developing.
Even CNN commentator Dana Bash — who rarely misses an opportunity to attack the President —conceded that he’s “the kind of leader that people need” at a time like this after hearing Donald Trump outline his comprehensive strategy for fighting the coronavirus and helping Americans weather the financial consequences of the pandemic.
It’s inspiring to see so many formerly rabid partisans putting politics aside and rallying behind our President at this critical time. Mayors and governors are directly responsible for the health and well-being of their constituents, and they know that President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been downright superb.
Andrew Surabian is a former Special Assistant to President Trump and Deputy Strategist inside the White House, who also worked on his campaign