The Trump Administration Feuded with State and Local Leaders Over Pandemic Response – Now the Biden Administration is Trying to Turn Back a Page in History

Abstract

As the U.S. recovers from the pandemic, the Biden administration is working to rebuild relationships across levels of government, from the top to the bottom, that were strained during the presidency of Donald Trump. In November 2020, Biden offered urban leaders a seat at the table in coronavirus recovery efforts, promising to avoid partisanship. Addressing the National League of Cities in March 2021, Harris praised urban leadership on COVID-19 – cities like Seattle and New York were among the first to respond to the pandemic, developing testing protocols, tracking new infections and supplying equipment for hospitals – and highlighted the administration's plans to help pay for improvements to local infrastructure. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of government leaders working together.