President Biden finally broke his silence to comment on the embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) multiple allegations of sexual harassment but passed up an opportunity to join other Democrats in calling for the three-term New York governor to resign.
“I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question Sunday evening outside the White House South Lawn upon returning from a weekend spent from at his Delaware home.
The comments from the president was a first as Biden had previously dodged questions regarding the allegations against Cuomo. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has yet to explicitly weigh in on the allegations plaguing the New York governor, despite being such an outspoken critic in slamming both Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and former Democratic Sen. Al Franken when they faced similar allegations in the past.
Seven women, with the majority of them former staffers to the governor have alleged that he sexually harassed or behaved inappropriately toward them.
Earlier on Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) also declined to call on Cuomo to resign, despite previously calling the sexual harassment allegations lodged against Cuomo “serious and credible,” said that New York Democrat “must look inside his heart” to decide if he should step down.
“I think we should see the results of the investigation,” Pelosi said Sunday on ABC News’ This Week.
“And what I’m saying is the governor should look inside his heart — he loves New York — to see if he can govern effectively. I think we should see the results of the investigation,” Pelosi added.
Republican Governors Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Larry Hogan of Maryland, meanwhile both declined in separate appearances on Sunday morning shows in calling for the democrat to resign, saying the sexual allegations first need to be investigated.
A majority of New York Democrats — both in the House and Senate have called for Cuomo to resign. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand became the highest-ranking members of the New York delegation to join nearly every House Democrats member who mobilized against Cuomo, as the growing number of women accuse the embattled governor of sexual harassment or assault.
“Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York,” the New York senators said in a joint statement Friday. “Governor Cuomo should resign.”
Schumer reiterated that call on MSNBC Sunday, saying that Cuomo has lost the confidence of New Yorkers that he needs to lead his home state.
“I salute the brave women who came forward,” Schumer said Sunday morning. “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, so for the good of the state, he should resign.”
The 16 members of New York’s 19-person Democratic House delegation said Cuomo must resign including senior Democratic committee chairs — Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, and Nydia Velazquez as well as high-profile progressives, including Squad members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mondaire Jones and Jamaal Bowman. Democratic Congressional Campaign (DCCC) Chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney joined the list shortly before noon, and Rep. Ritchie Torres, another progressive Democrat finally joined the list on Friday evening.
“Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of the people of New York,” Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement Friday morning. “Governor Cuomo must resign.”
Cuomo remained defiantly while rebuffing members of his own party both locally and nationally in calling for him to resign, calling it “reckless and dangerous” as he portrayed himself as a victim of “cancel culture.”
“The people of New York should not have confidence in a politician who takes a position without knowing any facts or substance,” Cuomo said on a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon. “Politicians take positions for all sorts of reasons, including political expediency and bowing to pressure. But people know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture, and the truth.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James has begun the independent investigation into the allegations made against Cuomo, an effort connected by a pair of outside attorneys. On top of James’ investigation, the Democrat-led New York state Assembly began the initiate potential impeachment proceedings, launching their own probe on Thursday that includes their own with subpoena power.
The Biden administration had tried to keep their distance from Cuomo’s allegation, dodging numerous questions about the New York governor’s allegations and whether they believe he should step down. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on Friday that White House officials had seen the news of the New York congressional Democrats delegation’s break from Cuomo, but didn’t provide more to add to the news.
Biden AdministrationCongressional DemocratsDCCCDemocratic Congressional Campaign CommitteeDemocratsGov. Andrew CuomoJen PsakiKamala HarrisLetitia JamesNew YorkNew York DemocratsNew York NewsNursing Home ScandalPresident BidenRep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezRep. Carolyn MaloneyRep. Jamaal BowmanRep. Jerry NadlerRep. Mondaire JonesRep. Nydia VelazquezRep. Richie TorresRep. Sean Patrick MaloneySen. Kristen GillibrandSenate Majority Leader Chuck SchumerSexual AllegationWhite House News
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