President Donald Trump fired back at one of his harshest critics, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), in a savage letter Thursday, responding to Schumer’s criticism of the President’s leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the letter, President Trump told Schumer, “I’ve known you for many years, but I never knew how bad of a senator you are for the state of New York, until I became President.”

Trump sends letter to Schumer pic.twitter.com/pSIi2T4SwL

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) April 2, 2020

President Trump hit back at Schumer after the senator sent him a letter Thursday, in which he demanded answers about shortages of equipment, testing kits and medical supplies in New York, along with other hot spots around the nation.

In his blistering reply, Mr. Trump told Sen. Schumer that the Defense Production Act (DPA) “has been consistently used” by him and his team but that companies have been fulfilling the administration’s requests “without even a formal notice.”

“We have given New York many things, including hospitals, medical centers, medical supplies, record numbers of ventilators, and more,” said Pres. Trump. “You should have had New York much better prepared than you did, as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx said yesterday, New York was very late in its fight against the virus,” Trump said. “As you are aware, the Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments. Unfortunately, your state needed far more of a back-up than most others.”

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1245696906560487425

The President then pivoted to another point: Senator Schumer, who has represented New York in Congress since 1981, and in the U.S. Senate since 1999, is approaching the end of his current term.

“If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers), and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the ‘invisible enemy.’ No wonder AOC and others are thinking about running against you in the primary. If they did, they would likely win,” he added.

AOC is a reference to the freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Some political experts believe she might be considering a primary challenge against Schumer.

President Trump also applauded New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) for “getting the job done.” He accused Senator Schumer of being “missing in action.. except when it comes to the ‘press.'”

When I sent Pres. Trump a serious letter on getting critical medical supplies to our frontline fighters, he responded with a petty, unserious letter.

To the President:

Americans are dying and losing jobs. Businesses are teetering. Stop the pettiness. Be a leader. Do your job.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 3, 2020

Senator Schumer took to Twitter on Thursday night to respond to the President’s letter. “Americans are dying and losing jobs. Businesses are teetering. Stop the pettiness. Be a leader. Do your job,” he wrote.