What Joe Biden Thinks About Andrew Cuomo
While 2020 might have been a landmark year for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's career despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — a year in which Cuomo himself was lauded as a de facto hero for his daily press briefings during the first phases of COVID-19 — 2021 is proving to be anything but for the career politician. In January 2021, Cuomo was hit with what proved to be a scandalous double-whammy.
The first was the revelation, per an investigation headed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, that Cuomo had deliberately undercounted coronavirus-related nursing home deaths in order to misrepresent New York's response to COVID-19 (and in doing so, increase Cuomo's appeal as a leader and politician). Then, on the heels of that controversy, former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan's sexual harassment allegations against the governor added fuel to the fire, with six other women ultimately coming forward with similar stories of inappropriate misconduct and intimidation on the part of the politician.
Since both scandals reared their heads, notable public figures, lawmakers, and citizens alike have called for Cuomo's resignation, continuing to do so despite an impeachment investigation launched by the New York State Assembly in March 2021. And, despite the fact that Cuomo has continued balk at demands for his resignation, he now has one more opinion on his impeachment inquiry to deal with — President Joe Biden's.
Joe Biden thinks action should be taken after the Cuomo investigation wraps
As CNN noted, President Joe Biden weighed in on the State Assembly-mandated impeachment investigation involving Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 13, 2021 — and considering Biden's role as commander-in-chief, his statement on the matter was a diplomatic one. "I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us," Biden remarked during a press conference at the White House regarding Cuomo, per CNN.
Biden's response to questions regarding the Cuomo investigation is seemingly aligned with previous statements given by members of his White House administration. The same day Biden told members of the press that the Cuomo inquiry should conclude before further action is taken, chief of staff Ron Klain went on MSNBC to clarify the president's thoughts on the matter, including that the investigation should "run its course."
As Klain explained, "What the President said is that there's a process," and that "these charges are very serious," though he stressed that the seven women who came forward "have a right to be heard." Deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded similarly in an interview with MSNBC. "Every woman that comes forward... they should be heard, they should be listened to, and they should be respected. That's what the president believes."
Despite the White House's general attitude towards the Cuomo impeachment investigation, others with political clout have called for more immediate consequences for Cuomo's dual controversies.
Cynthia Nixon, Chuck Schumer, and others have called for Cuomo's resignation
While President Joe Biden might have publicly remarked that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation should be contingent on the investigative outcome, other notable politicians and high-profile personalities have decidedly settled on Cuomo's immediate ousting.
As CNN reported, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been a major vocal proponent of Cuomo tendering his resignation, telling MSNBC during an on-air interview on March 14, 2021 that "there are multiple, serious, credible allegations of abuse so that Gov. Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and so many New Yorkers," concluding that "so, for the good of the state, he should resign."
Cynthia Nixon — who gained international fame for her role as Miranda Hobbes in the Sex and the City franchise, and who has since pivoted to a career as an outspoken political activist — decried Cuomo's comfort in his gubernatorial chair amidst both the sexual harassment allegations and the nursing home COVID-19 deaths scandal.
Nixon, who ran against Cuomo in the New York gubernatorial primaries in 2018 and lost with only 35 percent of the vote in her favor, tweeted her frustration in a series of March 10, 2021 posts over what she qualified as "Cuomo's years-long pattern of corrupt behavior." She added: "Andrew Cuomo has lost public trust. He cannot be relied upon to act in the best interests of everyday NYers over his own perceived interests & those of his donors."