In Brooklyn speech, Cuomo calls Trump 'un-American'

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, after days of trading barbs on Twitter with President Donald Trump, took their spat offline on Sunday, delivering a blistering speech that accused Trump of being "un-American" and promoting "sexism, racism, bigotry and intolerance."

"I have a message for the president," Cuomo said in a speech before congregants of the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights in Brooklyn. "Mr. Trump, I've known you for 30 years. You may be a slick salesman, who fooled many people in this country, but you didn't fool me and you didn't fool New Yorkers. We know who you are, and we're going to rise up and tell this nation the truth about who you are, because when the voice of division is raised, a chorus of unity must rise in response."

Cuomo's speech comes less than a week after he faced widespread criticism — including from Trump on Twitter — over his remarks that were initially meant to mock Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

“We are not going to make America great again. It was never that great,” Cuomo said in a speech last week after a bill-signing ceremony for an anti-sex-trafficking bill. "We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged.”

Cuomo, whose name is often floated as a 2020 presidential contender, has since walked back the statement, saying it was "inartful," but Trump in a series of tweets has continued to chide Cuomo, calling him "High Tax Andrew Cuomo," and saying his "political career is over."

Cuomo on Sunday devoted his speech to challenging Trump's agenda, saying the president's policies were "discordant with America." He condemned Trump's immigration enforcement policies, such as the administration's recent controversial "zero tolerance" policy, which led to the separation of more than 2,500 child migrants from their parents at the southern border.

"I believe it's un-American to take babies out of the arms of their mothers because they want to come into this country," Cuomo said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.