Andrew Cuomo faced sharp criticism for saying that the coronavirus pandemic, which tore through his state and resulted in more than 32,000 deaths there, was a metaphor for the state of American politics.
“We went through hell, but we’ve learned much. We know that our problems go beyond the COVID virus,” the New York governor said in a speech Monday for the Democratic National Convention.
“COVID is the symptom, not the illness,” Cuomo continued. “Our nation is in crisis, and in many ways, COVID is just a metaphor. A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it cannot defend itself. Over these past few years, America’s body politic has been weakened.”
He also referred to the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, as the “European virus.”
More coronavirus deaths have occurred in New York than in any other state.
Commentators criticized Cuomo for saying that the virus, which had very tangible catastrophic effects, was a metaphor:
Wonder if COVID would have gone better if Cuomo knew the difference between the words “pandemic” and “metaphor” https://t.co/sVpEQayEgq
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) August 18, 2020
if COVID is just a metaphor, then Cuomo’s response is just like poetry: it sucks https://t.co/nVQiveEMCg
— ? tbone ? (@crulge) August 18, 2020
“Covid is the symptom, not the illness.. Covid is just a metaphor.” I understand why Cuomo wants to think that, but Covid is in fact the illness.
— Jon Fasman (@jonfasman) August 18, 2020
If my administration had stuffed covid+ patients back into nursing homes where they could infect everyone else, I’d probably want to think of covid as a metaphor, too. https://t.co/jU3XSb3T2m
— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) August 18, 2020
He actually thinks this! He thinks the virus is a sub-issue to the racial injustice
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) August 18, 2020
COVID isn’t a metaphor, it’s an infectious disease, but Andrew Cuomo is a metaphor for megalomaniacs who appoint themselves some kind of bizarre philosopher king
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 18, 2020
“Andrew Cuomo’s appearance at Joe Biden’s convention is a stark reminder of the Democrats’ failed responses to pandemics,” said Steve Guest, Republican National Committee rapid response director.
