Cuomo refuses to take Trump's bait: 'This is no time for politics and you lead by example'

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) refused to take President Donald Trump's bait in his recent attacks against himself and other governors.

In a call with Fox News, Trump alleged that the only reason Cuomo's poll numbers are high is that he is making them high. Cuomo took Trump's comment as a compliment because he acknowledged Cuomo's success.

The New York governor explained he's not afraid to get into a political fight. "I'm a tangler," he confessed. But now isn't the time.

"I understand what the president said -- first, I thank the president, because I take his comment as a compliment, the president commented on a poll that said people are pleased with my leadership," said Cuomo. "I thank him for that. That was a compliment."

However, Cuomo said he has no intention of getting into a public fight with the president over political nonsense.

"As far as the president's comment about having a political contest with me, I am not engaging the president in politics," Cuomo said. "My only goal is to engage the president in partnership this is no time for politics. You know, lead by example. I am not going to get into a political dispute with the president. I'm not going to rise to the bait of a political challenge."

He went on to say that he has no intention to run for president and his work for New York has nothing to do with any political ambitions.

"I just want partnership to deal with this I want to the president, quite clearly -- look, when you do good things for my state and you're a good partner, I will be the first one to say you're a good partner, and I have. I went to the ship, Comfort, today. I said thank you, Mr. President. we opened up this Javits Center, and said thank you to the Army, the Army Corps of Engineers."

"If I don't believe New York is being served with the federal elects they passed, I'll say that too," Cuomo continued. "Sometimes it's just simple -- just tell the truth. That's where we are. Tell the truth. If you're doing the right thing be New York, I'll say it. If he's doing the wrong thing by New York or the rest of the country, I'll say it."

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