Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently stated that President Donald Trump never dispatched the National Guard to New York City during the violent George Floyd protests in 2020 because Cuomo personally advised him against it.
These remarks were made during one of the two significant Democratic debates for the New York City mayoral race. Cuomo pointed out that while Trump had sent troops to several cities across the United States, he refrained from doing so in New York. “I told him not to send them here,” Cuomo remarked, suggesting that Trump’s reluctance was due to his, perhaps, need to maintain a strong image as a commander-in-chief.
On a related note, Trump had ordered thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to address unrest and assist federal immigration efforts. During the chaotic George Floyd protests, he also directed federal forces to areas like Washington, D.C., and Portland to curb violence. Despite the turmoil in New York City during those protests, Cuomo emphasized that federal assistance was notably absent there.
Cuomo also highlighted that both New York City and Los Angeles are designated as “sanctuary cities,” meaning they protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. He declared his intention to uphold New York City’s sanctuary laws if he were to become mayor. “We need to protect immigrants,” he insisted, adding that with the NYPD being the largest police force in the country, Trump wouldn’t succeed in a confrontation with him as mayor.
