Trump Questions Whether U.S. Should Aid ‘Democrat’ States
- President sides with McConnell, who suggested bankruptcy
- Senate leader criticized by Democrats, some Republicans
Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House on April 20.
Photographer: Tasos Katopodis/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump questioned whether the federal government should provide financial assistance to “poorly run” states led by Democrats on Monday, again framing the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak in partisan terms.
Trump appeared to align himself with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said Congress shouldn’t debate relief to cash-strapped states until legislators reconvene in May. The Kentucky Republican has suggested states with large pension obligations under union contracts should be forced into bankruptcy instead of receiving federal aid.