Cuomo on Trump Tweets: ‘This Is Not the Time to Foment Hate’

Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) took aim at President Donald Trump and declared it was “not the time to foment hate.”

Trump tweeted criticism of the so-called Diversity Visa Lottery program after reports that alleged New York City terrorist attacker Sayfullo Saipov used it to enter the United States.

The terrorist came into our country through what is called the "Diversity Visa Lottery Program," a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

Cuomo said, “I don’t think this is the time to get political. We had a policy, an immigration policy in place in the ’90s. It was a bipartisan policy. It was signed by a Republican president.”

He continued, “There is not a doubt that we have to be smarter and have more intelligence. But there’s also no doubt that this is not the time to play politics. This is not the time to foment hate. This is not the time to divide, because they all exacerbate the situation, right?”

He added, “This is the time to forge alliances with our allies. I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning who has lived with this for a very long time. This is about information sharing. This is about coalitions. This is about offering people hope and not spreading fear. And that’s what I’m trying to do. And different officials will handle it differently. But I believe it’s about hope. I believe it’s about love. I believe it’s about understanding. And I believe it’s about strength and not letting them win.”

(h/t The Hill)

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