Keep in mind that Trump claims he is all for “law and order” as his vision for America, however, this agenda only applies to everyone but his family. The real story behind Trump’s threats to deny NYC some $7 billion in funding is actually based on Trump tring to get New York prosecutors off his neck.
Trump is basically trying to get prosecutors to stop investigating his personal and business empire finances by using his law and order cover story. In other words, he is telling Governor Andrew Cuomo he is willing to make a trade – he will stop the defunding if Cuomo will tell state prosecutors to stop their bank and insurance fraud investigation against the president.
.@NYGovCuomo should get his puppet New York prosecutors, who have been illegally after me and my family for years, to investigate his incompetent handling of the China Virus, and all of the deaths caused by this incompetence. It is at minimum a Nursing Home Scandal – 11,000 DEAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2020
Trump has tried unsuccessfully for several years to get the courts to block the investigation, going all the way to the Supreme Court. However, last month, the justices unanimously rejected Trump’s bold claim that — for as long as he serves as president — records about him are absolutely immune from demands by state or local prosecutors, reports Politico.
So, here we are on Thursday – one day after Trump ordered the federal government to study the process of cutting off the “lawless” cities of New York, Portland, Seattle and Washington, DC, from federal funds that have allowed raucous protests and riots to continue and taken action to defund the police, reported the New York Post.
In the memo issued by Trump on Wednesday, he said: “My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones. To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government’s promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America’s cities.”
The memo also ordered White House budget director Russ Vought to issue guidance in 30 days from Wednesday “to the heads of agencies on restricting eligibility of or otherwise disfavoring, to the maximum extent permitted by law, anarchist jurisdictions in the receipt of Federal grants.”
Trump also tried to disparage Governor Cuomo, tweeting that he “has the worst record on death and China Virus. 11,000 people alone died in Nursing Homes because of his incompetence!”
Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York has the worst record on death and China Virus. 11,000 people alone died in Nursing Homes because of his incompetence!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2020
Of course, Cuomo fired back at the president for his remarks and threat. Cuomo, in a scathing message to Trump said “from the point of view of New York City, President Trump is the worst president in history amid his threats to defund the city.”
According to ABC News, Cuomo summed up what he thought of Trump’s latest moves, saying: “As far as this statement he’s going to stop funding for New York City, he is not a king, he thinks he’s a king but he’s not, he’s a president and there is a constitution and there are laws, nothing that he knows anything about but the federal budget is appropriated by law with conditions of funding by law. The statutes contain the funding conditions and he can’t override the law. I suspect it’s more of a political statement that he’s making than anything else.”
