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Cuomo condemns Trump's transgender ban

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his first remarks since President Donald Trump announced in a tweet that he was banning transgender people from the military, condemned the action as “terrible" and “hateful,” and said it is contrary to American values.

Cuomo, speaking before a meeting of the business group ABNY, said it’s “true” that you can base a political movement on “fear and negativity,” but he said the divisiveness is “corrosive” and comes at a “terrible price.”

“I’ll tell you what I find more and more disturbing with the Trump administration and this ultra-conservative dialogue,” Cuomo said. “It is all based on anger and hate.”

Shortly after Trump’s tweet on Tuesday, Cuomo issued a statement saying New York “stands united with the transgender community” and will protect their rights.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for the New York Public News Network, composed of a dozen newsrooms across the state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.