President Trump has dismissed calls for the administration to open federal coffers to bail out coronavirus-stricken states, instead accusing Democratic state leaders of fiscal mismanagement.

In a Monday morning tweet, Trump echoed controversial comments made last week by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who insisted that hard-hit states like New York declare bankruptcy rather than receive federal aid.

“Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?” Trump wrote.

State leaders, led by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have warned their regions may be on the brink of an economic collapse caused by the expensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a restrictive shutdown now in its sixth week.

Requests for state and regional aid to be included in the next round of coronavirus funding have gone unheeded, with McConnell’s office calling such cash infusions “blue state bailouts.”

At his Monday morning press conference, Cuomo said he felt the debate about money was “repugnant” during a pandemic which has killed 56,000 people in the US, but welcomed an investigation into how much states contributed.

“This is not about money. This is about working together and helping and sharing and people are dying. This is about grief and about comfort. It’s not about money,” Cuomo said during a six-minute riff on Trump’s tweet.

“But if you want to make it about money, you’re making a mistake because you’re going to lose on a tally sheet and it’s not even going to be close,” he continued, referring to the Empire State’s contributions.

The governor confirmed he and Trump spoke on Monday morning but told reporters they did not discuss federal monies.

Cuomo said the state bailout was needed to fund police, firefighters, hospital workers and school teachers and told reporters he didn’t believe promises from Washington lawmakers that state bailouts would be included in the next round of funding.

“Everybody said, ‘Oh don’t worry, don’t worry, that will be in the next bill,’ but that was the third time they said ‘That will be in the next bill,” Cuomo said.

“Pardon me for being suspicious of Washington politicians but when I hear them say ‘Don’t worry’ I worry deep inside.”

A recent report predicted New York city could lose out on nearly $10 billion in tax revenue by mid-2021.

The president’s tweet echoed partisan suggestions that Democratic governors in hard-hit states such as New York, California, Washington, Illinois and Michigan were undeserving.

A furious Cuomo called McConnell the “grim reaper” at a press conference last week.

“Just think of what he’s saying,” Cuomo said. “Fifteen thousand people died in New York, but they were predominantly Democrats, so why should we help them?”