(USA Features) Democrats who are frequent critics of President Donald Trump are heaping praise on him over his swift responses to the budding coronavirus outbreak.
While the president and his administration were initially criticized for bungling some testing of suspected virus carriers, Trump has won plaudits from Democratic governors and liberal critics for early decisions like shutting off travel from China to the U.S.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reportedly spoken frequently with Trump and his administration. He took time to praise the president and his administration twice this week during press conferences.
“I can tell you that he’s fully engaged on trying to help New York. He’s being very creative and very energetic, and I thank him for his partnership,” Cuomo told reporters on Thursday.
The president’s actions are evidence that the president is committed to helping New Yorkers, he said on Wednesday.
“His team has been on it. I know a team when they’re on it and I know a team when they’re not on it. His team has been on it. They’ve been responsive late at night, early in the morning, and they’ve thus far been doing everything that they can do,” Cuomo added.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a regular critic of the president especially over immigration policy, has also been praiseworthy of Trump’s response efforts.
Asked about his discussion with Trump concerning the Grand Princess, a cruise ship with confirmed COVID-19 cases that was off the coast of California earlier this month, the Golden State governor noted that the president “said everything I could have hoped for.”
“And we had a very long conversation and every single thing he said, they followed through on,” Newsom added.
He said he spoke with the president March 17 and told him that his state needed more swabs to test for the virus.
“Not only is he on top of it, but they’re securing and beginning the process of distributing those swabs,” Newsom said hours later.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota responded to the administration’s suspending mortgage foreclosures and invoking the Defense Production Act by noting, “Politics aside, this is incredible and the right response in this critical time.”