New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo thinks President Trump’s motive for changing his primary residency from Manhattan to Palm Beach, Florida is about more than sunshine and warmer weather.
During an interview on MSNBC Friday, Cuomo said that Trump’s residency change — which he called a “desperate legal move” — doesn’t change how the fight to get his New York state taxes since he took office will continue. Cuomo’s latest remarks piggybacked off of his sarcastic Thursday night tweet where he said: “It’s not like @realDonaldTrump paid taxes here anyway…”
“The fight will continue,” Cuomo said on MSNBC. “And I think it’s a desperate legal move where he’s now going to argue, ‘Well, the state should have no right to my taxes because I moved out, I’m a Florida resident.’ That’s besides the point. When you file your taxes, you were a New York resident.”
Last month, the Justice Department filed a document siding with Trump in his battle against Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s efforts to obtain his tax returns.
Cuomo then argued if Trump defrauded New York state, he defrauded it when he was a New York state resident.
“Just because you move out doesn’t mean you are not liable for what you said in those taxes, when you file them in the state of New York,” Cuomo said, before doubling down on his argument that Trump’s residency change is a “desperate” measure. “But I think these are desperate times for the President.”
Watch Cuomo’s remarks below:
Andrew Cuomo: Trump's residency change from NY to Florida is a "desperate legal move" pic.twitter.com/hhpg6LnIoE
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 1, 2019
A few hours after Cuomo’s MSNBC interview, Trump accused Cuomo of weaponizing “the prosecutors to do his dirty work” and said that “taxes and energy costs are way too high” in New York state in a Friday afternoon tweet thread.
….in New York, and another reason they are leaving. Taxes and energy costs are way too high, Upstate is being allowed to die as other nearby states frack & drill for Gold (oil) while reducing taxes & creating jobs by the thousands. NYC is getting dirty & unsafe again, as….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2019
…..with a President and Federal Government that wants our wonerful City and State to flourish and thrive. I Love New York!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2019
Seems pretty likely.
‘Desperation’ infused with a healthy dose of ‘dumb’. Yet another ‘people are being mean to me’ move.
Is it desperate or is it, by contrast, filled with glorious shining hope?
Anyway, if it is a “legal move,” you have to wonder what lawyer advised it.
Or maybe it was Mr. “I Am The Team.”
Florida also has many more protections for shielding assets from civil suits. Coincidence?
Why didn’t he do it sooner - years ago?