President Donald Trump has not yet called New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the two officials said Wednesday, a day after eight people were killed in a terrorist attack in downtown Manhattan.
Cuomo and de Blasio were asked whether they had received a call during a press conference nearly 21 hours after the deadliest terrorist attack in New York City since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Trump spent the morning on Twitter, attacking Democrats and calling for stricter controls on immigration in response to the attack.
“I received calls yesterday from the homeland security secretary and from the homeland security adviser in the White House, Mr. Bossert,” de Blasio said.
“Both offered any and all help to New York City in this moment, and said they would be 100 percent available to us in any way going forward,” the mayor continued. “So those calls happened give or take 7 o’clock yesterday evening.”
He added, responding to a question: “Not from the President directly, no.”
Cuomo also said that he had “received no call from the President,” but noted that, like de Blasio, he had been in touch with the current acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke. Duke also called New York City’s police Commissioner, James O’Neill, he said.
The New York leaders took the questions in stride.
“Look, I’m not bothered at all because two senior officials called promptly and offered help, and I think that was appropriate,” de Blasio said, responding to a reporter’s question about not hearing from Trump. “I think we are here to talk about this situation, the facts, and no one up here wants to politicize any of this.”
Cuomo agreed: “I am not bothered that the President didn’t call. I am bothered by an attempt by anyone to try to politicize this situation.”
