Andrew Cuomo says New York has lower infection rate than White House following Trump attack

Following the presidential debate Thursday night, during which President Trump attacked New York’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, New York governor Andrew Cuomo appeared on a live The Late Show With Stephen Colbert where he painted a much different picture than the president. Cuomo pointed out that New York now has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, and compared that to the recent COVID-19 outbreak at the White House, which affected Trump, along with dozens of others. Cuomo also said he believes that the conditions in New York, compared to the rest of the country, much of which is seeing steadily increasing infection rates, is what really bothers Trump.

Video Transcript

ANDREW CUOMO: Trump hates New York. Feelings are probably mutual. We did the exact opposite that he is done on this COVID situation. He's lied to the nation about it, and we did the exact opposite.

KYLIE MAR: On "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Thursday night, which was live following the presidential debate, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shot back at President Trump who slammed New York's handling of the coronavirus during the debate. Cuomo pointed out that New York's rates continue to go down, comparing that to a recent outbreak at the White House.

ANDREW CUOMO: We acknowledged it. We were smart about it. We are united. We worked together, and we brought the rate down now to one of the lowest rates in the United States of America. New York has a lower infection rate than the White House, Stephen.

KYLIE MAR: Cuomo believes that Trump is bothered by the fact that things are getting better in New York, while cases are increasing across much of the country.

ANDREW CUOMO: This state turned everything around. That's what bothers him about New York. It shows him what this country could have done. It's an historic government blunder. And New York represents the opposite to him, and that's why it's galling.

KYLIE MAR: And when Colbert asked Cuomo why Trump chose to downplay the threat of the coronavirus, Cuomo had an interesting answer.

STEPHEN COLBERT: Why, for just political expediency, for his own sake, wouldn't he take this seriously?

ANDREW CUOMO: Yeah, because a skunk doesn't stop smelling, and the skunk can't stop smelling.

STEPHEN COLBERT: I'll write that down, hold on. I gotta write that one-- skunk.

ANDREW CUOMO: [LAUGHS]

STEPHEN COLBERT: Skunk.

[LAUGHTER]