Trump Backs Off His NY State Quarantine Idea To Contain Coronavirus

President Donald Trump arrives back at the White House on March 28, 2020. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Within hours of floating the idea of ordering a quarantine on New York amid surging COVID-19 cases in the state, President Trump walked his proposal back in a Saturday evening tweet.

After telling reporters at the White House on Saturday about how “some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hot spot,” Trump added that he was considering quarantining New York, New Jersey and certain parts of Connecticut, which would involve travel restrictions.

Later Saturday, Trump cited a recommendation from the White House coronavirus task force when he announced that he asked the CDC to issue a “strong” travel advisory instead of a quarantine for the three states.

Shortly after Trump’s tweet, the CDC issued a statement urging residents in the three states against non-essential domestic travel for 14 days.

Trump’s quarantine idea reversal came after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) told CNN Saturday evening that the idea of quarantining his state would be a “federal declaration of war.”

“It would be chaos and mayhem,” Cuomo said. “It’s totally opposite everything he’s been saying. I don’t think it is plausible. I don’t think it is legal.”

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: