Trump Looks To Defund NYC, Cuomo Responds With Threats

NEW YORK (VINnews) — As a part of his campaign to restore law and order to America’s cities, President Trump has ordered the federal government to begin a process which will defund New York City and 3 other American cities where officials disregarded lawless protests and even defunded the police, according to a report by the NY Post.

In a 5-page memo signed by the President on Wednesday, all federal agencies were ordered to submit reports to the White House Office of Management and Budget which will detail funds that can be diverted from New York City, Washington, DC, Seattle and Portland.

“My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,” Trump wrote in the memo.

“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 instructs AG Barr to draw up a list within 14 days of “anarchist jurisdictions” that “permitted violence and the destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures” to restore order.

The memo then asks White House budget director Russ Vought to advise within 30 days from Wednesday “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.”

The order can have tremendous impact on the cities affected. New York City stands to lose up to 7 billion in annual funding as a result of Trump’s new directive.

The memo says that “in New York City, city officials have allowed violence to spike.”

The memo then goes on to call out Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo by name.

“In light of this unconscionable rise in violence, I have offered to provide Federal law enforcement assistance, but both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have rejected my offer,” Trump says in the memo.

“While violence has surged, arrests have plummeted. In a 28-day period during the months of June and July, [New York City] arrests were down 62 percent from the same period in 2019. Amidst the rising violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to cut one billion dollars from the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget, including by cancelling the hiring of 1,163 officers.”

Following the release of the report, Gov. Cuomo responded with a tweet, saying “President Trump has actively sought to punish NYC since day one. He let COVID ambush New York. He refuses to provide funds that states and cities MUST receive to recover. He is not a king. He cannot “defund” NYC. It’s an illegal stunt.”

President Trump has actively sought to punish NYC since day one.

He let COVID ambush New York.

He refuses to provide funds that states and cities MUST receive to recover.

He is not a king. He cannot "defund" NYC.

It's an illegal stunt.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 2, 2020

Later on in the evening, Cuomo turned up the heat and all but threatened the President’s safety in a press briefing called specifically to address the order.

“He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York. New Yorkers don’t want to have anything to do with him,” the Governor said. “He can’t have enough bodyguards to walk through New York City, people don’t want to have anything to do with him.”

Cuomo also called the legality of Trump’s order into question. “It is more of the same from him. It’s political, it is gratuitous. And it’s illegal. But it is another attempt to kill New York City,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo then went as far as to turn things personal, saying “I think it’s because he is from New York City and New York City rejected him, always. He was dismissed as a clown in New York City, those who know him best, like him least.”

“He was disrespected in New York City. Nobody took him seriously and he was just a tabloid cartoon,” the Governor continued.

As far as a response from Mayor de Blasio, a statement came only in the form of a message from his press secretary Bill Neidhardt.

“As much as Donald Trump wants New York City to drop dead, we will never let this stand,” Neidhardt tweeted. “This has nothing to do with “law and order”. This is a racist campaign stunt out of the Oval Office to attack millions of people of color.”

As much as Donald Trump wants New York City to drop dead, we will never let this stand.

This has nothing to do with "law and order". This is a racist campaign stunt out of the Oval Office to attack millions of people of color. https://t.co/w7tzJxc8wW

— Bill Neidhardt (@BNeidhardt) September 2, 2020

Trump’s memo also attacks other Democratic leaders and officials in other cities and states.

“As a result of these State and local government policies, persistent and outrageous acts of violence and destruction have continued unabated in many of America’s cities, such as Portland, Seattle, and New York,” the memo says.

In Washington, DC, “Mayor Muriel Bowser allowed rioters and anarchists to engage in violence and destruction in late May and early June, requiring me to call in the National Guard to maintain law and order in the Nation’s Capital,” the memo says.

The memo also calls out Seattle for its tolerance of the long-problematic “autonomous zone” which was eventually taken down by police due to spikes in shootings and other violent crime in the area.

“On July 1, Seattle declared the protest zone dismantled. But such failed leadership continues to harm the people of Seattle as, in recent weeks, rioters have engaged in violence and destruction of property across Seattle, resulting in at least 59 police officers being injured and multiple businesses and vehicles vandalized,” the memo says.

On Thursday, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a joint statement in response to President Trump’s memo.

“Our cities, and the millions of Americans who we represent, are not President Trump’s political pawns. We are confronting unprecedented challenges—fighting back a pandemic and economic devastation without another stimulus. Now, instead of leadership from the White House, we are faced with new attacks that are unlawful, unconstitutional and will be undoubtedly defeated in court. President Trump needs to wake up to the reality facing our cities—and our entire country—and realize he is not above the law.”

According to a White House official, the list of cities is subject to updates, and can be modified over time with the help of the DOJ to add additonal cities if needed.