Fox News’ Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean is a vocal critic of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic after she lost both her in-laws to the virus due to bad state policies. Cuomo’s office, however, doesn’t think she should have a voice in the fight.
Earlier this week, Dean wrote an opinion editorial explaining that despite the countless awards and praises the governor has received for his leadership, Cuomo’s Wuhan virus response and vaccine rollout has been a complete disaster.
“If Cuomo had not spent valuable time promoting and celebrating himself for months, missing meetings with the White House in the fall and instead had prepared for the massive vaccine roll-out here in New York, maybe we wouldn’t have the mess and mass confusion that is currently happening across the state,” Dean wrote.
Shortly after the piece was published, Cuomo’s spokesman Richard Azzopardi brushed off the TV host’s concerns and attacked her professional position.
“Every state has had issues with vaccine distribution because of lack of federal funds but we’re rapidly ramping up distribution and currently have administered more than 60 percent of the vaccines we have,” Azzopardi told the Daily Mail. “Last I checked she’s not a credible source on anything except maybe the weather.”
This statement from Cuomo’s office did not take well on social media, where many came to Dean’s defense.
“@JaniceDean *is* an expert on how Cuomo’s orders killed 6k+ ppl, including her in-laws,” Megyn Kelly wrote on Twitter Thursday. “She had to become one. B/c the media didn’t give a damn. And when she spoke up, the media mocked her for going beyond weather—just like Cuomo did here. And all of those ppl can F right off.”
.@JaniceDean *is* an expert on how Cuomo’s orders killed 6k+ ppl, including her in-laws. She had to become one. B/c the media didn’t give a damn.
And when she spoke up, the media mocked her for going beyond weather-just like Cuomo did here. And all of those ppl can F right off https://t.co/z8vMM5iGx9— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 15, 2021
“Worst Governor in America and his heartless sycophant hacks,” posted New York Rep. Elise Stefanik. “After @JaniceDean lost BOTH her in-laws this year in NY nursing homes, instead of mourning with her and listening to her, Cuomo’s disgusting goons smear her. Truly a cowardly disgrace and an embarrassment to NY.”
Worst Governor in America and his heartless sycophant hacks?
After @JaniceDean lost BOTH her in-laws this year in NY nursing homes, instead of mourning with her and listening to her, Cuomo’s disgusting goons smear her.
Truly a cowardly disgrace and an embarrassment to NY. https://t.co/qWcMzuGMMm
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 15, 2021
Dean, who has called out the governor for using “bully tactics” on her before, was also quick to fire back at the condescending comment.
“I can do weather and speak up for my family at the same time,” she retorted in a tweet.
I can do weather and speak up for my family at the same time. https://t.co/GcidfgPMFX
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 15, 2021
Dean is frequently outspoken about her concerns and disdain for Cuomo’s inability to handle the COVID-19 crisis, penning multiple op-eds slamming him for refusing to give answers about his nursing home policy that contributed to the deaths of her in-laws.
They are flushing vaccines down the toilet because @NYGovCuomo says they will be fined if they don’t use it on the people he deems important first. Those do not include seniors and first responders.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 8, 2021
Maybe the governor should spend more time actually leading instead of celebrating himself. Because if he didn’t learn this lesson in the spring, the vulnerable need to be at the front of the line so that we can protect them and save their lives. https://t.co/rEUoN3v7uy
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 12, 2021
.@NYGovCuomo really really really really doesn’t want anyone to know how many seniors died in nursing homes.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 14, 2021
.@NYGovCuomo does not care about our seniors. In fact, he seems to do everything he can to put them in danger. https://t.co/DKtOPRogWd
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 14, 2021
I call on @NYGovCuomo to resign. If he refuses, I call for impeachment. https://t.co/sgZHXKGwnD
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) January 8, 2021
Just this week, the Democrat governor refused to give up any documents or evidence related to his fatal policy that required COVID-19-positive patients to be placed in nursing homes with the vulnerable.
New York has also had the coronavirus vaccine for weeks now, but Cuomo’s multiple layers of rules and eligibility requirements have made it difficult to access and administer. At the beginning of January, New York ranked surprisingly low on Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker, dragging its feet on implementation and only administering coronavirus vaccines to just over 1,000 people per 100,000.
It wasn’t until this past Monday that Cuomo magically decided during his “State of the State” speech that shutting down the economy for almost a year was probably a bad idea and something needed to change.
“We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy, but we must do it smartly and safely,” he wrote on Twitter.
We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy, but we must do it smartly and safely.#SOTS2021
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 11, 2021
Jordan Davidson is a staff writer at The Federalist. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism.
