New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pinned some of the responsibility for New York City’s recent crime surge on President Trump.
“Now, the genesis of the crime you can have a great debate about, but the Trump economy, Trump not providing COVID relief, the George Floyd murder, Trump’s response to the George Floyd murder, race relations stress, Trump, there are good people on both sides, Ku Klux Klan,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said Friday during a teleconference after acknowledging crime is a “problem” in the city. “So, I think Trump has some liability for the increase in the crime.”
Shootings in New York City have dramatically increased over the past few months, and more incidents involving gunfire have been reported so far in 2020 already than during all of 2019.
In July, 15 people were shot in a 15-hour time period, and 116 people were shot between June 15 and July 2, which represented a 205% increase from the previous year at the same time.
Trump has taken notice of the crime wave and indicated he believes he can win the state of New York in November if the violence and high taxes in the state continue.
“Over the last six months, what’s happened is insane,” Trump said during an Oval Office interview earlier this week. “It’s insane. So we’re going to try very hard to win New York, and that will be the first time — is that since Ronald Reagan, I guess? Since Ronald Reagan.”
“Shootings are double. Murders, everything has doubled and tripled,” he added. “And I’ve heard numbers, 244% on some kinds of crimes. What is it, 277% for shootings? I’ll solve the crime problem.”
New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican and vocal supporter of Trump, said Trump can become the first GOP leader to carry New York since 1984.
“I certainly think so,” Malliotakis said when asked if Trump could win the state in November, adding that “restoring law and order” is a “winning message.”
