New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Andrew CuomoThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump, GOP allies prepare for SCOTUS nomination this week Fearless Girl statue in NYC dressed in lace collar to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg NYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' MORE (D) said Monday he won’t engage President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE in political squabbles amid the coronavirus pandemic plaguing his state and the nation.

“I'm not going to get into a political dispute with the president,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing. “I'm not going to rise to the bait of a political challenge.”

Cuomo’s comments came hours after Trump said during an interview on “Fox & Friends” that he “wouldn’t mind running against Andrew,” as the incumbent Republican president criticized Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE.

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“I think probably Andrew would be better,” Trump said.

Trump also took some credit for the high approval ratings Cuomo is seeing over his handling of the pandemic.

“One of the reasons he’s successful is because we’ve helped make him successful,” Trump said in the interview.

Eighty-four percent of New Yorkers said they approve of Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, according to a Siena College poll released Monday. The same poll found Cuomo’s favorability hit a seven-year high at 71 percent.

Cuomo thanked the president, saying he “takes his comment as a compliment.”

“As far as the president’s comment about having a political contest with me, I am not engaging the president in politics. My only goal is to engage the president in partnership. This is no time for politics,” Cuomo added.

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He also doubled down on comments that he is not running or planning to run for president this year.

“Forget the politics, we have a national crisis. We are at war, there is no politics. There is no red and blue, it’s red, white and blue. Let's get over it and lead by example,” Cuomo said.

He also said he’ll thank Trump when the president helps his state, for example by sending the U.S. Navy hospital ship that arrived in New York Harbor on Monday to aid hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.

“When you help my state, I’ll say thank you. If I believe that New York is not being served … I’ll say that, too,” Cuomo said.