In press briefings Cuomo unites, Trump divides

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily COVID-19 press briefings start with the sad and sobering truth about the loss of life in New York state. He expresses the grief and heartbreak publicly that we are all feeling privately. He details his plans for the immediate health crisis, and future plans to allow us to get back to work to restore our economic well-being. His grace under fire, nationally recognized leadership and clear conviction to put our health and humanity first helps us deal with our fear and anxiety.

Contrast that with the White House press briefings at which President Donald Trump continues to polarize our country and politicize the pandemic. He quickly goes off the rails, full of grievances, spending the majority of his time blustering, blathering and blaming others for his failure to tell us the truth, create a plan or accept responsibility to safeguard our health and safety. His behavior has caused chaos, possibly loss of life and the loss of confidence in his leadership.

Trump should not be reelected. All voters need to ask themselves: Am I better off today than I was four years ago? The future of our country is in our hands. We are in control of our own destiny. Our next president must be a leader who accepts that the federal government is there to protect us through whatever future crisis we face as a country.

In November, we each need to cast our vote as if our life depends on it because it truly does.

Stephanie Sussman Claverack