At the White House coronavirus press briefing on Sunday, President Donald Trump replayed clips of Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York praising the federal response to the crisis and read aloud a flattering Wall Street Journal column about him.

There was no mention, however, of the scathing criticism Cuomo has also leveled at Trump's coronavirus responses.

Trump told reporters he played the clips of Cuomo to celebrate bipartisan unity in the face of the crisis.

A CNN reporter at Sunday's briefing asked whether Trump should be basking in praise on a day when the US death toll surpassed 40,000, ultimately prompting the president to tell the reporter "you're fake news" and "you don't have the brains you were born with."

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President Donald Trump used Sunday's White House coronavirus task force briefing to replay clips of Gov. Andrew Cuomo praising the federal government's coronavirus response, but he excluded the scathing criticism the New York Democrat had also leveled against him.

During Sunday's briefing, the lights were dimmed, and screens showed a clip of Cuomo saying: "What the federal government did, working with states ... was a phenomenal accomplishment."

A second clip showed Cuomo saying: "These were just extraordinary efforts and acts of mobilization, and the federal government stepped up and was a great partner, and I'm the first to say it. We needed help and they were there."

Trump told reporters he played the clips to celebrate bipartisan unity in response to the crisis.

"This is not about Democrats, Republicans," he added. "This is about a thing that hit our country, the likes of which has never happened to us before."

Later in the briefing, Trump also read out praise from a Wall Street Journal column.

The CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond challenged him, however, asking why Trump had decided to highlight such praise on a day when the official US coronavirus death toll had surpassed 40,000.

The question prompted an exchange in which Trump ultimately responded with insults, saying, "You're CNN, you're fake news," and, "You don't have the brains you were born with."

Cuomo is one of Trump's biggest critics, and the president knows it

The bid to portray Cuomo as a fan of Trump's efforts to combat the crisis has baffled many people. New York is the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak, and Cuomo is one of Trump's most trenchant critics.

Cuomo's press conferences have rivaled Trump's for the news coverage they generate, and in them Cuomo has laid bare the inadequacies he sees in the federal government's response — notably in its failure to secure equipment for front-line medics and to roll out a comprehensive testing program.

Trump has argued that New York's healthcare system appears to have had enough beds to meet demand and therefore got everything it needed. He's also said Cuomo should take the fall for any problems in New York's response.

Cuomo on March 2. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

The two exchanged open barbs Friday, with Trump tweeting: "Governor Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining'. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking!"

Cuomo hit back hours later at his state briefing, saying of Trump: "If he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work."

He said that in calculating the amount of hospital space required, New York had relied on federal government figures, and in response to Trump's demand for gratitude, said: "What am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers?"

Trump and other members of the White House coronavirus task force on February 26. Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen

Coronavirus briefings or campaign rallies?

The White House coronavirus task force briefings started as sober assessments of the health crisis facing America delivered by top public-health officials, but in recent weeks Trump has been accused of hijacking the briefings and using them in place of his campaign rallies, which have stopped in times of social distancing.

During the briefings, the president has taunted reporters, blamed Democrats for problems tackling the virus, and highlighted praise of his administration's response.

The White House has not responded to Business Insider's request for comment on the apparent exclusion of criticism at Sunday's task force briefings.