A spokesman for Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo mocked FOX News meteorologist Janice Dean for criticizing the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in the state, Daily Wire reports.
Dean lost both of her in-laws in New York nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic after Cuomo forced long-term care facilities to take in people who tested positive for coronavirus.
"Last I checked, she’s not a credible source on anything except maybe the weather," joked Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi. "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."
"I can do weather and speak up for my family at the same time," Dean responded.
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, who had been apolitical until Cuomo's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York came to light, blasted the slow rollout of the vaccine as "just another leadership failure from this governor."
Cuomo's team faced heavy criticism online and from conservative figures for his spokesman's mockery.
I wonder if this guy actually thinks it helps Cuomo’s case to dump on someone who lost loved ones because of Cuomo’s reckless policy of sending infected people into nursing homes where they infected others. Malpractice on two levels: human and political. https://t.co/S7th00aZE2
— Brit Hume (@brithume) January 15, 2021
No, really - when does Governor Cuomo apologize for this? It's disrespectful and patently condescending: https://t.co/D220NmNg8l
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) January 15, 2021
A governor’s spokesman saying that a woman is “not a credible source” on the deaths of her own family members would be disgusting even if @JaniceDean were *not* an accomplished, dynamic beacon of love & light, but she also is those things. https://t.co/r8NtqPsHph
— Kat Timpf (@KatTimpf) January 15, 2021
Dean has thanked many of her defenders through her Twitter account.